A new report released by the David Suzuki Foundation and Ontario Nature provides insight into the billions of benefits that Ontario's Greenbelt provides.

Researching for our Greenbelt Holiday Gift Guide confirmed one thing for us: there is so much to see and do in the Greenbelt, our Gift Guide could be a mile long (or 1.8 million acres wide.) We chose to highlight a range of products and activities that represent the diversity of this broad region. Here are three of our favourites:

People say there are two types of givers: those that buy presents that people need, and those that buy things that people want. We'd like to challenge this categorization and say that there are actually three categories of gift-givers. The third category is those that buy things that can bring social change, enhance our environments, or help other succeed in the good work that they do. Gifts of giving. 

The Foundation has assisted many innovative grantees over the years through our grants program. Over the next couple of months, we will be featuring grants past and present on our homepage to highlight the great work of many organizations across the Greenbelt. 

$173,000 - December 14, 2009

Last week I had the opportunity to be a judge at the first, and hopefully annual “Great ENGO (Environmental Non-Governmental Organization) Holiday Bake-Off”. Let me begin by saying that these groups – including Environmental Defence, David Suzuki Foundation, and Ecojustice – approach baking with the same determination, integrity, and enthusiasm as they do towards their respective causes. These groups were going face-to-face with the title of “Bake-Off Champ” at stake, it was intense. You can imagine the pressure of judging the work – in this case the baked goods – of these organizations. Thankfully I didn’t have to go it alone, as Pheonix Plessas and Meredith Hayes were my co-judges.

Last week I went to see the film adaptation of Ronald Wright’s book and Massey Lecture series, A Short History of Progress. It is titled Surviving Progress, and is a Canadian-funded movie with a few familiar faces. The timing is somewhat ideal for this film to open with the recent successes and stumbling blocks of the Occupy movement and the climate change talks in Durban.

With snowy winter weather approaching, those that commute may feel the effects of the trip to work more than in the milder months. However, the effects on our commuter population is much more than a longer drive time.

Attached is an article that originally appeared in the Toronto Star examining the impact commuting has on people through the experiences of one GTA family. 

Global Day of Action on Climate Change is upon us. On Saturday December 3, 2011, United Nations leaders will meet in Durban, South Africa to discuss the impacts and find solutions to climate change on a global scale. 

Biodiversity in Ontario's Greenbelt – 2.97 MB

In 2008, The David Suzuki Foundation released Ontario's Wealth, Canada's Future: Appreciating the Value of the Greenbelt's Ecological Services. Building on that research, this subsequent report, Biodiversity in Ontario's Greenbelt, showcases the significance of the Greenbelt for the diversity of life in Ontario and emphasizes the importance of system-based planning.

Piper & Oliver at the Ottawa St. Farmers' Market 

Q&A with Oliver Allen-Cillis