The Greenbelt Foundation’s latest research report, Health-Informed Heat Mitigation Approach: Case Study of The Regional Municipality of York with University of Waterloo and Toronto Metropolitan University introduces a novel framework that emphasizes the crucial role of greenery cover in protecting people from heat stress and building environmental resilience to climate change. 

Are you passionate about supporting charities and non-profits who are helping to sustain Ontario’s Greenbelt - protecting its environmental, agricultural, and cultural landscapes and social benefits? If you are looking to work with a great team for a good cause, this might just be the career move for you! 

The Greenbelt Foundation is an independent, charitable organization dedicated to promoting and sustaining Ontario’s Greenbelt. With the support of the Province of Ontario, in addition to its grants program which supports community and sector capacity, the Foundation undertakes evidence-based research and policy work, strategic programs and promotes the Greenbelt and engages the public and stakeholders. By ensuring continuous, progressive investment in the Greenbelt, the Foundation nurtures a living, thriving Greenbelt for all to enjoy. 

Working together to increase forest cover and improve climate resilience in communities across Ontario’s Greenbelt. 

  July 31st, 2023

  On a bright, beautiful day in June, some of my Forests Ontario colleagues joined me in visiting Phyllis Rawlinson Park in Richmond Hill to meet our friends from the Greenbelt Foundation and local planting partners. We all gathered to celebrate the planting of 500,000 trees on   private and public land in the Greenbelt and its river valleys over the last two years. 

Are you passionate about supporting charities and non-profits who are helping to sustain Ontario’s Greenbelt - protecting its environmental, agricultural and cultural landscapes and social benefits? If you are looking to work with a great team for a good cause, this might just be the career move for you!

The Greenbelt Foundation is an independent, charitable organization dedicated to promoting and sustaining Ontario’s Greenbelt. With the support of the Province of Ontario, in addition to its grants program which supports community and sector capacity, the Foundation undertakes evidence-based research and policy work, strategic programs and promotes the Greenbelt and engages the public and stakeholders. By ensuring continuous, progressive investment in the Greenbelt, the Foundation nurtures a living, thriving Greenbelt for all to enjoy.

June 21, 2023 

June is Indigenous History Month in Ontario. It’s an opportunity for all Ontarians to learn about Indigenous Peoples, the foundations of Canada, and what it means to uphold our responsibilities as Treaty Partners. 

So no matter where you may find yourself, along the path of your reconciliation journey, the Moccasin Identifier is a helpful resource to add to your knowledge bundle. 

The idea for the initiative came to former Chief of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Carolyn King C.M. in 2011, when archaeologists, clearing away the homestead of Nationally Significant Person Catherine Sutton for residential development, asked her, “Carolyn, how will we ever know that your people were here?” “You won’t.  Carolyn replied, “It will be ploughed up and paved over.” 

In that moment, the vision was sparked to find a marker that would represent Indigenous relationship to land, the importance of Treaties and upholding Aboriginal Rights, so that all Canadians would know whose land they were on. Carolyn started by asking: “What will identify us and connect us to the land? And on the third day I found it! Our footwear.” 

Representing Indigenous diversity through moccasin design, the Moccasin Identifier aims to cover Canada in moccasins. As a reconciliation tool, it tackles the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) head on, by starting over with the children and bringing education and place-knowing to the forefront in both the classroom and public settings. As stated by former Senator and the Chair of the TRC, Murray Sinclair, “It’s education that got us into this mess and it’s education that will get us out if it.” The Moccasin Identifier’s goals over the next few years are to get a Moccasin Identifier education kit in every school in Ontario and to create a network of site installations across the Greenbelt Plan area and Ontario.

We’ve faced challenges along the way. From racism to tokenism, to securing sustainable funding, with all staff acting as full time volunteers at one stage. For this reason, we are particularly grateful to the Greenbelt Foundation, as none of this would have been possible without their support. As one of the initial major funders, the Greenbelt has demonstrated a deep commitment to reconciliation in Ontario by supporting the Moccasin Identifier to reach new heights. 

From the development of a Communications Plan to support consistent messaging and a new brand design to be launched this summer, to a Story Map with interactive mapping to support with Moccasin Identifier installations, sustained staffing, as well as a forthcoming installation at the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the Greenbelt Foundation has been a truly meaningful partner. As a result, many others are now coming forward and implementing the Moccasin Identifier in their community, school and place of work.

This summer please come and visit us at the Indigenous Arts Fest at Fort York in June, or for the Three Fires Annual Homecoming Pow Wow in August, or the Canadian National Exhibition from August to September, to connect directly with the team, and explore opportunities to work together! 

Or stay tuned via our website https://moccasinidentifier.com for the launch of new tools and information in the coming months, including an AR app for you to virtually stencil a moccasin on your phone!

This Indigenous History Month, be inspired to walk alongside us and learn about Treaties for a better future together. The dream of reconciliation will take all of us and there is still much work to be done.

For more information, please contact [email protected]!

Susan is the Strategic Coordinator of the Moccasin Identifier and believes in environmental planning for conservation and reconciliation in Ontario's renown Greenbelt. 

Image credit: Nadia Molinari

Greenbelt Foundation Celebrates Planting Half a Million Trees with Forests Ontario

The Greenbelt Foundation and Forests Ontario are working together to increase urban and rural forest cover and improve climate resilience in communities across Ontario’s Greenbelt. 

 Richmond Hill, Ont. (June 19, 2023) – Today, the Greenbelt Foundation, Forests Ontario, their planting partners and local political figures gathered in Richmond Hill to celebrate the planting of 500,000 trees on private and public land in the Greenbelt and its river valleys over the last two years – but the planting is far from over. 

New Soil Health Program Will Improve Profits for Ontario Farmers, Boost Sustainability for the Region 

Free Greenbelt Foundation-Led Program Provides One-on-One Support for Participating Farmers 

TORONTO, June 8, 2023 — The Greenbelt Foundation is providing Ontario farmers the opportunity to measure and evaluate the impact of different beneficial management practices (BMPs) on soil health. Through a regionally unique Soil Health Testing Program, the Foundation and the US-based Soil Health Institute will advance soil health assessment and management across Ontario, improving profits for farmers, boosting the strength of local food systems, and furthering Ontario’s ecological sustainability goals.  

Taking Action with EcoSchools Canada

By Emilie Rayner and Clara Luke

Schools across Canada — particularly those in and around the Ontario Greenbelt — have been learning about this biodiverse area and exploring the biodiversity in their own schoolyards through the “Taking action in the Greenbelt with EcoSchools Canada” project, funded by the Greenbelt Foundation. The project has provided schools with resources and funding to support learning and action on this important and timely topic!

The Greenbelt Biodiversity “action” is a key resource that EcoSchools Canada has created through this project. It includes guidance for students and their school communities on activities such as conducting a plant inventory on the school grounds: identifying as many different plant species as possible, collecting total population counts for each species and determining whether each species is invasive or at-risk in their area. A plant inventory is an important first step in understanding the biodiversity that already exists in an area, and can lead to further action such as invasive species removal and planting native species.

Some schools took this further step and chose to grow native species in their school to support local biodiversity. By growing native species on their school grounds, they were able to enhance ecological health in their area. As with all EcoSchool actions, student leadership was the focus as they took the lead in planning, communicating, implementing, and tracking their Greenbelt Biodiversity action. This year, over 199 schools have taken up the Greenbelt Biodiversity action, reaching over 103,555 students, not only in Ontario, but across Canada!

The project has also provided micro-grants for school ground planting projects focusing on native species. In total, 26 grants ranging from $100 - $5,000 have been awarded to schools located on or in close proximity to the Ontario Greenbelt. The grants were designed to support school communities and student-led EcoTeams with their native species planting projects that enhance local biodiversity. These projects not only provide meaningful outdoor learning for students but contribute to the overall health and well-being of the surrounding ecosystem.

In the 2021-22 school year, 11 schools received a micro-grant to support their planting projects. The 2022-23 micro-grant program offered schools grants in higher amounts, to allow for greater impact on school ground biodiversity, and even more positive environmental outcomes.  The 2022-23 program received an excellent response, with well over 100 submissions of inspiring projects. Of these, 15 schools on and around the Greenbelt were awarded the grants. These schools' inspiring ideas and commitment to the environment have truly made a positive impact on their communities.

Central French Immersion Public School was awarded the top $5,000 grant to support their school's vision of adding native trees to their outdoor learning space and becoming a Butterfly Way to support native bee and butterfly populations. This exciting project not only provides stewardship and leadership opportunities for the students, but also supports important pollinators and contributes to local biodiversity.

The Greenbelt serves as a conduit for migratory species, and we have the advantage of observing them as they visit and live on our school grounds and surroundings. We look to develop stewards of the environment in our students, who care about preserving this space for future generations to come. As active school EcoCitizens they will become active community citizens with the goal of protecting their local environment and beyond. Students engaged in data collection, planning, observation, and hands-on experiential learning about native and at-risk flora and fauna.

- Julie Arsenault-Howick & Ashley Hall, EcoTeam Teacher Leaders, Central French Immersion Public School, DSBN

This collaboration between the Greenbelt Foundation, EcoSchools Canada, and participating schools has been a wonderful opportunity to work together to support environmental education and community-based initiatives. We are proud to celebrate the success of the program and the inspiring projects that have resulted from it. Congratulations to all the student leaders taking on this action, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact of your projects in the coming years!

Emilie Rayner is the Program Coordinator with EcoSchools Canada and Clara Luke is the Senior Program Manager with EcoSchools Canada. 

The Greenbelt Foundation (GBF), stewards Ontario's Greenbelt, two million acres of protected land that provides clean air, fresh water, climate resilience, and a reliable local food source to help Ontario thrive. The GBF was established in 2005 with a mandate to support the long-term viability of agriculture, strengthen rural economies, and restore and enhance natural features. We are the only charitable organization solely dedicated to the health and prosperity of Ontario's Greenbelt.

A thriving partnership with Earth Rangers.

 April 27, 2023

  I’m proud of the Greenbelt.  It sounds corny, but it’s true. When I think about things in Ontario that are truly world class, I think about the Toronto International Film Festival, Algonquin Provincial Park, Sick Kids Hospital…and the Greenbelt. The Greenbelt’s current value is enormous, but its future value is immeasurable. Climate change will continue to put pressure on southern Ontario, but the Greenbelt can help ensure we remain resilient in its face. As our population grows, the Greenbelt can ensure that development is done without sacrificing valuable farmland and natural spaces critical to biodiversity, mental health and recreation. Those are just a couple of the reasons why I believe it’s crucial that children learn about the myriad benefits of the Greenbelt and explore all it has to offer.