About us
Laughing Lichen is a family run wildcrafting business established in 2010. Our 12-acre farm, manufacturing facility and learning center is located 30 kilometers from the city Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. We operate our facility 100% off-grid in the sub-arctic wilderness using solar energy. The products we create are carefully crafted in small batches using hand-foraged wild herbs, berries, lichens and fungi. We respectfully acknowledge that Laughing Lichens business is located on Chief Drygeese Territory in the Akaitcho region, the traditional territory of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation.
Meet our Team
Amy Maund - Founder
Born and raised in the NWT, Amy spent much of her youth camping, skiing, canoeing, fishing and enjoying her families remote off grid cabin. As a young adult she treeplanted, worked as a wildlife technician and rehabilitator, an ornithologist, BC Park Operator, and a veterinary nurse. Her interest in wildlife, plants and medicine led her to UNBC where she studied her undergraduate focusing on biology, sciences, ecology, and ethnobotany. What initially began as a hobby of crafting wild plant based products for friends and family while studying as a student became the business of Laughing Lichen. It couldn’t have happened without the support and love from everyone who believed in Amy’s journey from the beginning. A dream grew into a reality and the business now resides on its own 12-acre commercial property in the wilderness. You can find Amy these days harvesting in the forest with her daughter Wren, partner Ian and huskies. Amy enjoys sharing her knowledge and skills with others about sustainable foraging, medicine making and traditional economies.
Elisabeth (Liz)
After visiting many countries around the globe Elisabeth traveled to Canada, and up to the north in 2019. She hails from Austria. With a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, her practical skills and problem-solving abilities are excellent. She immediately fell in love with the north and decided to stay. If she’s not hanging out with a team of Canadian Inuit sled dogs or hiking 30 minutes through the bush to work each day, she’s certainly doing something interesting. Liz has been working for Laughing Lichen now for more than four years. She is an extremely hard worker and takes on any challenges that come her way; and completes everything she does with excellence.
Liz loves everything outdoors, a great cook and she’s pretty darn good at making birch bark baskets. From camping, hunting for mushrooms, to fishing to hiking she loves an adventure.
Ian Proctor
Ian grew up in Quebec, where he went on to study Geography at Concordia University. His passion for construction led him to getting his Timber Frame certificate and Red Seal in Carpentry. Having a builder on the team has allowed for Laughing Lichen’s new site to flourish and grow. In the off season, he can be found inside helping the team and doing IT work. His construction company is called Sherpa Timberworks. https://sherpatimberworks.ca/
Martina
Being a parttime harvester for Laughing Lichen gives Martina an opportunity to spend many hours outdoors in the woods, observing nature and harvesting plants and berries.
Martina has lived in Yellowknife for over 40 years and enjoys a variety of outdoor activities throughout the seasons of each year. Her knowledge of the area is extensive and she enjoys exploring and hiking to areas she has not yet been to.
Martina’s interests include continuing to learn about plants and animals, well being through nature and enjoying the company of her friends and family.
Hannah Jenkins
Hannah is a true northerner. Born, raised and homeschooled in the NWT and raised off-grid surrounded by wilderness. Hannah worked at Laughing Lichen from 2018 to 2021 full time and now is a part time harvester and attending school. With her big smile and her positive can-do attitude, She was an excellent member of the Laughing Lichen Tea.
The premium ingredients we collect are from remote areas of Canada’s northern wilderness. Laughing Lichen operates under the philosophy of ethical environmental stewardship and applies this vision to all facets of the business – from initial harvest to final product, ensuring a sustainable future generations to come – our forests included.
We are skilled in the identification of native fungi and flora species and strive to find only the highest quality ingredients. All products are gluten free and none are tested on animals – only our close friends! Our entire business, farm and learning centre is run using Solar energy. Minimizing our impact on the environment is important to us and is reflected in all aspects of the business. Shipping materials are re-purposed, wherever possible we source eco-friendly, recyclable or compostable packaging into our product line. Our Off-grid energy efficient facility hosts a composting toilet, biodegradable cleaners and detergents, and all plant and fungi matter used in the making of products is returned to the land as compost. Wild harvested ingredients are shade dried using natural air flow in a post and beam style barn for optimal freshness and ones that aren’t are carefully dried using low temperatures in dehydrators.
