COURSES

Ready to turn your yard from a lawn into nature’s living room? As you think ahead to spring, you might be feeling a mix of excitement and doubt, inspired by the idea of backyard rewilding, but overwhelmed by choices, conflicting advice, and the quiet fear of getting it wrong.

You know your lawn could be so much more… you’re just not sure where to begin.

By the end of the six-week Backyard Rewilding digital course, that uncertainty will shift into clarity, confidence, and joy. You'll have a plan that fits your place, a deeper understanding of how backyard habitat restoration works, and the confidence to take action step by step. Your backyard will become connected to something bigger than itself, woven into your neighbourhood and the wider ecosystem it supports.

Course details

Runs for 6 weeks: Monday, April 6 to Sunday, May 17, 2026
Six self-paced lessons, each with practical yardwork assignments and supporting resources
Lesson videos released weekly, with access for three months after the course ends
Private online peer community for mutual support, inspiration, and shared learning
Weekly live Q&As and group coaching with the instructor (recorded for those who can’t attend)
Weekly backyard rewilding project critiques by the instructor, selected from participant-submitted case studies
100% refund within 48 hours of purchase
Limited spaces to ensure personalized guidance
$167.00 (includes tax) CAD

Lessons

Location, Location, Location: Assess your site conditions
New Neighbours: Select a native plant community
Greenprint Sketch: See the big picture
Creature Comforts: Add habitat features
From Lawn to Nature’s Living Room: Site preparation
Move-In Day: Source, plant, and care
BONUS: Guest expert rewilding designer - Review and advice of two student projects (selected from those submitted by course participants) by the award-winning rewilding designer Lulu Urquhart, the co-creator of the RHS Chelsea 2022 Best in Show garden “A Rewilding Britain Landscape”.

Questions? Contact info@neighbourhoodhabitat.ca

This course is for nature’s allies living in southern Ontario’s towns, cities, and suburbs, people who feel called to help nature heal right where they live. It’s designed for first-timers and those growing their skills in habitat making and native plant gardening, providing clear guidance, local context, and a supportive path forward.

You don’t need a big property, a perfect plan, or years of experience, just a willingness to start, and a desire to be part of something bigger than your own backyard.

Meet Ewa, Your Backyard Rewilding Instructor:

Throughout my 25 year career as an ecologist, I've loved helping people use native plants to bring more life to their backyards. My dream is to make restoring backyard habitat feel simple, joyful, and doable. I’m here to help you grow your confidence and your positive impact on the world.

Testimonials

Here is what past course participants say:

"I thoroughly enjoyed the Neighbourhood Habitat School. Ewa provided an excellent overview of the process involved in naturalizing my yard. Her passion for naturalizing yards and increasing biodiversity in our communities is very motivating." - Anne A.

"This course will provide you with everything you need to know to successfully establish native plants and increase biodiversity in your corner of the world. The instructor is super kind, encouraging and knowledgeable, so don't hesitate!"

Natalie V.

"I really liked this course. It was well presented and each session clearly explained what was needed for a successful native plant garden. I think the concept of native plants being your "neighbors" is wonderful. It reinforces the need to see these plants, not just as pleasing decorations, but as useful neighbors in your gardens. The discussion forum permitted all of us to ask questions, share information and congratulate each other on our successes. I highly recommend this course for anyone wanting to learn more about native plant gardening."

Lise B.

"The course was well prepared, not intimidating, fun, inspiring and very informative. It didn't matter if you had acres of land or a tiny bit of yard, Ewa was able to accommodate the diversity of projects. "

Luci D.

"This course is crammed with great information for anyone wanting to improve their outside space. Starting from the history of your site (what used to thrive here?) Ewa takes students through the process of building up your knowledge so that you can create a planting plan that works for you and the neighbourhood wildlife. Her advice helps with uncovering challenges and new ideas that you might not otherwise have noticed. Highly recommended!"

Gemma B.

"The Neighbourhood Habitat School, led by the remarkable Ewa, was an absolute revelation. I was initially intimidated by the idea of transforming my front yard, but the course made every concept easy to grasp. Ewa’s patient and kind teaching style, combined with her incredible talent for ‘noticing,’ meant the advice was always spot-on and personalized. She helped me create a plan that worked for my specific site, considering my available time, budget, and energy. I’ve come away not only with a beautiful, functional front yard that benefits native wildlife, but also with the confidence to tackle future projects. I can’t recommend this course enough."

Lesley C.

"The Neighbourhood Habitat School course helps to build your confidence in all things habitat restoration. No matter your site Ewa works with you to provide many different options and resources to help you to develop a garden that is sure to suit your needs. You get to learn and hear the experiences from others in the course. It also provides you with a great community to go to when you being developing your restoration site. The website platform used makes it easy for you to post pictures and questions for your new community to offer their recommendations. " Yvette B.

Questions? Contact info@neighbourhoodhabitat.ca