Rooted in Practice
Our team brings more than 25 years of experience in ecological land planning, regenerative agriculture, conservation, mapping and design. We integrate science, traditional ecological knowledge and land-based practices to understand each place as a whole living system.
Our co-founders come from land-based lineages and decades of hands-on experience — working in the soil, on farms, within communities, and alongside landowners to move ideas from vision to implementation. We understand both the complexity of land and the practical realities of bringing a plan to life.
We are an intergenerational team. We learn from elders, mentor emerging practitioners, and believe that knowledge is strengthened when it is shared across generations.
At the heart of our work is relationship. We cultivate our own relationship with the Spirit of the Land and invite our clients to deepen theirs — creating places that are not only functional and resilient, but alive with meaning and belonging.
Paula Westmoreland
Founder | Lead Designer | Land Guide
Paula Westmoreland is a permaculture designer, agroecologist, teacher, author, and land guide with more than 25 years of experience designing regenerative landscapes, farms, and homesteads.
Paula founded Ecological Design in 2000 with a vision of biodiversity for land and water while helping people develop a deeper relationship with the living world. Her work brings together ecology, regenerative agriculture, perennial systems, and thoughtful design to create landscapes that are abundant, resilient, and deeply connected to place.
A lifelong practitioner as well as a designer, Paula understands what it takes to move from vision and planning to implementation on the ground. She works with clients to see the possibilities within their land and develop practical pathways for bringing those possibilities to life.
Paula holds a master’s degree in Ecology, Sustainable Agriculture and Landscape Design from the University of Minnesota and advanced training in permaculture site design and implementation. She co-founded the Permaculture Research Institute Cold Climate and created the Natural Capital Plant Database, a design resource for developing polycultures and regenerative cropping systems.
She is also co-author of This Perennial Land: Third Crops, Blue Earth and the Road to a Restorative Agriculture.
At the heart of Paula’s work is the belief that tending land is also a way of tending our relationship with the living world - and that good design can create the conditions for both people and ecosystems to thrive.
Lindsay Rebhan
CEO | Ecological Strategist
Lindsay Rebhan is an ecological strategist and regenerative systems designer with more than 20 years of experience working at the intersection of land, water, food, and human health.
Through Ecological Design, Lindsay works with landowners, farmers, Tribal Nations, institutions, and organizations to understand complex landscapes and develop clear strategies for their stewardship and regeneration. Her approach brings together ecological science, land planning and mapping, agroecology, systems thinking, and Traditional Ecological Knowledge - moving from the story and patterns of a place toward thoughtful design and implementation.
Lindsay’s work extends from individual properties and working lands to watersheds, food systems, and community-scale initiatives. She is particularly interested in the relationships between healthy soil, clean water, nutrient-dense food, biodiversity, and human health.
She also serves as Board Chair of the BioNutrient Food Association working nationally and internationally with farmers, researchers, educators, and community leaders advancing regenerative agriculture and ecological resilience.
At the heart of Lindsay’s work is a belief that how we relate to land, water and food matters. Her work helps people move from good intentions to grounded action - creating landscapes that support life, abundance, and generations to come.
Laura Freund
Designer
A Certified Permaculture Designer, Laura Freund has worked with Ecological Design since 2007 in urban design and installation. Laura has a diverse horticultural background with experience in greenhouse production, plant propagation, ecological restoration and farming. She gardens extensively on her own property where she experiments with plant hardiness, pest management, incorporating children and creating functional design. Laura loves the work she does and is most happy when sharing what she’s learned with others.
Julie Ristau
Advisor, Land Transition Consultant
Julie grew up on a small diversified farm in Southern Minnesota and has years of professional experience in the agriculture arena. She founded Minnesota Rural Organizing Project and co-founded Homegrown Minneapolis, the city’s local Urban Agriculture and Food initiative. She served on the Board of the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture for six years and on the Board of Shared Capital Cooperative. Julie joined Sharing Our Roots in 2015 to help acquire and establish their 100-acre farm, served as Executive Director from 2018-2020 and then as a Senior Fellow. She is a founding leader of Commons Land Community Land Trust and serves as lead fundraiser, Land Team member and advisor. Julie grows her own farm project and land restoration at Rock Creek Agroforestry in Illinois.
Jessica Hui
Graphic Designer, Digital Creator
Jessica is a Toronto-based art director and designer passionate about using creativity to make a lasting impact. Her work spans editorial design, brand identity, web design, digital experiences, installations, and advertising, blending intuitive vision with strategic thinking. Jessica’s approach is driven by a thoughtful balance of colour and form, ensuring her designs are visually compelling and purposeful. Outside of her design work, she’s the Trinity Bellwoods Community Garden Coordinator and enjoys baking with seasonal produce.