Greenprint

The Ottawa Eco-Stewardship Fair is an annual one-day environmental exhibition that includes displays from non-profit organizations, businesses and government, a seminar series, children's activities, and an awards ceremony. Run by community organizers, the program brings together small and large businesses, ENGO's and government agencies and encourages grassroots, community-driven and innovative initiatives that promote sustainability.

Because a sustainable society depends on the involvement of all citizens and includes all facets of their lifestyle, the Ottawa EcoFair has, each year, expanded the sectors and the number of exhibitors to make this a populist event.

The TD Friends of the Environment Foundation‘s support has helped to ensure that the Fair is truly a citizen-run initiative where non-profit organizations and new entrepreneurs can afford to participate.

SLOE Neighbour-to-Neighbour Energy Conservation Project

Sustainable Living Ottawa East’s vision is to turn Old Ottawa East into a leading green community by educating and engaging their neighborhood on how to reduce energy use, and save money at the same time.

The project engages people through seminars and free home audits that identifies major consumers of electricity, and opportunities to reduce consumption. Kits are given to homeowners at the seminar in exchange for a pledge form, which they use to identify ways they will save energy. They are also given to homeowners who participate in the electricity audits, which includes a follow up in one year to assess the kit’s benefits – an energy “before and after”.

SLOE focuses on engaging the community to ultimately change behaviour. This project will not only reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, it will also increase awareness of how energy is used, and its impact on the environment.

SLOE focuses on engaging the community to ultimately change behaviour. This project will not only reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, it will also increase awareness of how energy is used, and its impact on the environment.

Wildlife Education

This project has several components. The School Program element is designed to improve knowledge and understanding of urban wildlife and biodiversity issues among students in grades JK-8. It aims to get children excited about wildlife and help reconnect them to the natural world and to date, over 3,000 students have received courses, with an emphasis on reaching the broadest possible demographic. The second component is a Website that offers detailed, cost-effective and humane solutions to wildlife problems.

The third element, a Community Outreach Program, uses public forums ranging from the Ottawa EcoFair to student environmental events and summer camps, presentations at community libraries, youth groups, gardening clubs and government events to increase understanding about urban wildlife issues. The fourth component involves building and maintaining strategic partnerships with other grassroots environmental initiatives so that wildlife perspectives are included.

Glen Cairn Community Resource Centre

Reforest Glen Cairn is a large neighbourhood-based project that seeks to "reforest" the Glen Cairn Planning District by planting 1,000 trees in backyards, city boulevards, schools, businesses, places of worship, parks and other public areas. With help from Reforest London and TD FEF, they will implement a model of strategic planning, community engagement and partnerships that can be replicated throughout London. The project will illustrate how trees can transform a neighbourhood by improving the aesthetic appeal of the neighbourhood, thereby improving property values and community pride. They will also introduce local youth to the importance of trees to the neighbourhood/environment and encourage them to build their community connections by demonstrating the positive traits of youth.

Boys’ and Girls’ Club of London

The Graham Family Eco Park provides a unique and integrative environmental, recreational and educational experience, universally accessible to children and families in need. The Eco Park exposes children and families in need to a natural environment, and provides a change of scenery from their everyday lives. TD Friends of the Environment Foundation funding supports educational programming at the park.

Upper Thames River Conservation Authority

TD Friends of the Environment is proud to provide funding to support the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority’s Subwatershed Report Card Education Program for senior secondary students, in which students produce their own environmental report card, modeled after the local Conservation Authority's. By all accounts, the Report Card Education Program has been a tremendous success with students and teachers, allowing classes to receive a half-day field trip and in-class workshop. This is a rare and unique opportunity for students to learn how environmental health is determined, and to gain hands-on experience in a variety of professional environmental monitoring and assessment techniques.

Waterfront Montessori Children's Centre

As part of the Waterfront Montessori Children’s Centre’s nature-focused curriculum, the teachers and students have decided to replace their older school bus with a more environmentally conscious alternative, a DeRedding KDV “school bicycle”. Commonly used in daycares across Europe, the bicycle, which carries up to eight children, will transport students to and from the ferry docks, and to various enrichment destinations and ecosystems. TD Friends of the Environment Foundation funding went towards the purchase of the bicycle.

Planet in Focus

Planet in Focus executes an annual environmental film festival, which includes an exceptional selection of 100 environmental films from more than 30 countries. All screenings are followed by facilitated discussions with filmmakers, programmers, academics and environmental experts, creating a lively, interactive atmosphere for debate and discussion. The screenings are complemented by a multi-day school program of curriculum-linked films, designed to encourage an awareness of the environment and promote environmental values and action. TDFEF funding will be used to fund the School Program, a Community Eco-Challenge, and the Festival Spotlight Program.

Native Child and Family Services of Toronto

The Native Child and Family Services are creating a Green Roof on their building, located in downtown Toronto. Beyond the environmental benefits associated with a planted green roof, the useable rooftop garden space is key to the agency's cultural aim of being able to hold ceremonies for their urban community. The rooftop garden will feature a sweat lodge, ceremonial fire circle, native healing garden and a children’s playground. TD FEF funding will be used to purchase native trees, plants, soils and shrubs.

Ducks Unlimited

The Protect Species at Risk program aims to educate the public regarding species at risk and the need to preserve and protect wetlands.

TD FEF funding will help defray the costs of educational materials which will be distributed at various community events.

Micro Recycle Cooperation

This program aims to promote recycling through the 3-R's - reduce, reuse and recycle. This initiative will focus on the school environment at various levels.

TD FEF funding will help defray costs of educational materials promoting recycling.

Société de conservation des milieux humides du Québec

The Société de conservation des milieux humides du Québec is creating educational material promoting the protection of endangered species.

TD FEF funding will help defray costs of educational materials as well as the writing and printing of material.

False Creek Watershed Society (FCWS)

The FCWS is committed to helping people understand the significance of local waterways, and their “ecological footprint”, by engaging Vancouverites with the rich natural history of the area, building ecological and cultural layers to the process of mapmaking.

The project includes community mapmaking sessions in Emily Carr University and the Roundhouse Community Centre, with historians, biologists, First Nations and artists all taking part. Community mapping strengthens the knowledge base to help citizens contribute in a green manner to their own home-place in the city and reconnect to the land that sustains us all.

Museum of Vancouver

"Eating Our Way Back Home" directly promotes and celebrates local food production and community gardening through an exhibition of compelling photography by renowned photographer,Brian Harris. In photo-journalistic style, the images contain a call-to-action for individuals and communities to reclaim control of local food systems and to think carefully about the ethics of food consumption decisions that are made everyday.

Multiple perspectives are sought through interpretive programming, including hands-on workshops, tours and talks. Participants will come away with a deeper understanding and appreciation of local food production issues as well as the inspiration and skills to start their own backyard or community gardens.

BC Coalition of People With Disabilities

"Farmers on 57th" is an urban agriculture project that transforms hospital grounds in central Vancouver into productive, educational and community integrated gardens.

The Pearson Gardens will play a significant role in educating the public about urban agriculture, teaching food production skills to students and neighbours, and providing fresh local food to their community. The initiative aims to encourage a community-wide shift in perception as lawn is transformed into orchards, berry bushes, row crops, and ornamental gardens, bringing with them birdlife and beneficial insects. TD FEF provided support to establish the gardens.

Y2Y Conservation Initiative Foundation

Together, Y2Y and the Canadian Rocky Mountain partner network share a common vision to ensure that the Canadian Rocky Mountain (CRM) region continues to function as a protected core, within which wildlife populations are maintained or increased. With a regional partner network now initiated, Y2Y will continue to lead this collaborative approach to conservation in the CRM.

This project promotes a healthy CRM landscape, nurtures collaborative sharing and learning, and serves as a catalyst for positive change, now and for future generations. In this landscape, we have an opportunity to preserve the last wildest intact, high-mountain ecosystem left on Earth, the only cordillera where healthy populations of all original native species still flourish.

Centre for Conservation Research, Calgary Zoo

The Calgary Zoo is conducting research to better understand northern leopard frog populations. The presence of these frogs is an important indicator of the quality of remaining prairie wetland habitat, and decline is likely associated with ongoing degradation of these habitats.

TD FEF funding will go towards developing a new monitoring technique that will allow a more detailed understanding of the populations of the northern leopard frog, vastly improving accuracy in identifying the causes of their decline and habitats that are important for their recovery.

Evergreen Theatre Company

Evergreen Theatre Company's "Go With the Flow" travelling performance is an engaging and entertaining look into touring the water cycle and water treatment. The primary goal of "Go With the Flow" is to promote understanding of, and revitalize personal action towards, water conservation, however it also educates students on the presence of local water treatment facilities in their communities.

TD FEF funding is helping deliver this program to a growing number of elementary students across the province, with more than 54,000 Alberta-area students enjoying the show to date.

FortWhyte Alive

Building Carbon-Lite Communities is a new initiative within FortWhyte's climate change education program that encourages personal responsibility and action to reduce the carbon footprint. Building Carbon-Lite Communities is focused on teaching persons of all ages to take responsibility for reducing their carbon footprint - at home, in school, on the road, with the family, and at work. From the moment climate change was identified as an emerging issue several years ago, FortWhyte Alive has been developing and delivering climate change education programs to over 100,000 school children and public visitors to the Interpretive Centre annually.

TD FEF contributed funding toward required educational materials, developing related website pages, and producing quarterly electronic newsletters in support of the program. School children and public visitors will be encouraged to complete a carbon-lite pledge form to take individual responsibility to reduce their carbon footprint.

Princess Margaret School

Princess Margaret Community School Association requested funding from the TD FEF to help them transform the school's outdoor environment into a diverse and accessible community green space, complete with outdoor classrooms. The outdoor classroom will allow them to enhance the curriculum, improve the school's energy efficiency, care for and maintain existing landscaping and engage children in the maintenance and care of their environment.

The new outdoor areas include a woodland grove, outdoor classrooms, school wall mural, an exercise path, a learning garden, a giving garden, shade trees, berm, a windbreak, landscape reformation, water redirection/reduction pond, tarmac games, rest areas, prairie grasses area, and garden/vegetable plots.

Through hands-on activities, students will learn about environmental needs, care and growth, tree and plant development, wildlife habitats, soils and identification of living organisms and their diversity, as well, classrooms may choose to 'adopt a tree' and observe changes over the years. The schoolyard project will provide several defined areas that encourage play for students with a wide variety of ages, abilities and interest levels. In undertaking this initiative, it is proposed that youth will become more engaged in the stewardship of their environment.

Selkirk & District Community Learning Centre

Responsible Electronics Recycling seeks to address the eventual proper disposal of electronics waste in Manitoba and was first conceived when it was noted that electronics waste was being deposited in the landfills of our region. Although there are several recycling programs available to Manitobans, none were specifically addressing electronics waste. The R.M. of St. Andrews, St. Clements and the City of Selkirk have in the past demonstrated great leadership in recycling initiatives and this program is a way for this leadership to continue. The e-waste items are assessed as being at end of life or reusable and either sent to well-known recyclers or providing recycled computers to those who do not have access to them.

TD FEF funding was used toward the set-up of demanufacturing facility and recycling equipment.

Hope for Wildlife Society

The development of a teaching hospital will enhance the ability to rehabilitate injured wildlife and provide a site for education and research. It will also increase the capacity to heal injured wildlife and rehabilitate injured and orphaned wildlife.

TD FEF funding will help to cover the cost of purchasing medical equipment.

Nova Scotia Nature Trust

The Nova Scotia Nature Trust is acquiring a pristine 57-acre wilderness area within the Halifax Regional Municipality which will be preserved forever as wild conservation lands. The Nova Scotia Nature Trust plans to embark on an educational project to promote the stewardship and wise use of the Purcell's Cove Conservation Lands. The project is unique in that it involves local community members in the hands-on stewarship of protected areas, through our volunteer "Property Guardian" program. TD FEF funding will help defray a portion of the cost of the educational materials and interpretive signage.

Sierra Club

Evergreen Theatre Company's "Go With the Flow" travelling performance is an engaging and entertaining look into touring the water cycle and water treatment. The primary goal of "Go With the Flow" is to promote understanding of, and revitalize personal action towards, water conservation, however it also educates students on the presence of local water treatment facilities in their communities.

The goal of the Water Watchers Monitoring Program is to have members of the Musquodoboit Harbour community conduct quality tests of local water sources (streams, rivers, lakes etc) in order to monitor pollution. With the support of TD FEF, community members will be given simple water testing kits which will come with educational/background information and detailed instructions.