New England Aster: a Native Plant We Love

June 30, 2010

Pretty purple flowers of the New England Aster. (Photo: Copyright Freyja Forsyth USDA @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database)

This perennial native grows clusters of flowers ranging from pink to deep purple in colour with centres of vibrant yellow. Growing up to 3 feet, Symphyotrichum novae angliae (formerly Aster novae angliae) can be found across Canada from New Brunswick on the east coast, westward through Saskatchewan. Blooming August through October New England Aster makes a beautiful late summer addition to your garden.

Are you in the GTA? Find this native plant along with veggies, trees, supplies and sustainable urban garden solutions at Evergreen Gardens.  (New England Asters are $3.99 for a 10 cm plant.)

Comments Off | Native Species | Permalink
Posted by Jenn from Communications

Earth Month Evergreen Style!

April 28, 2010

A student from Charles Howett Public School stands proud and poised to plant. (Photo by: Mel Yu)

Earth Day celebrations have dotted the Evergreen landscape all month long. Our two largest events at Downsview Park in the GTA and Jericho Beach Park in Vancouver saw over 3,000 trees planted! Other stewardship sites in the Southern Ontario area saw more than 4,900 trees planted over two weeks!

Read the rest of this entry »

Comments Off | Events, Stewardship and Planting, Toronto, Vancouver, Volunteer | Permalink
Posted by Jenn from Communications

Three Cheers for Volunteers

April 21, 2010

A stewardship and restoration volunteer digs in. (Photo by: Malga Sulowska)

It’s National Volunteer Week across Canada and Evergreen is celebrating. Volunteers are making a local difference that adds up to national impact. In 2009, more than 3,500 registered volunteers served in over 25 different roles with Evergreen! Whether working in the office, in the field, or from home, our volunteers have the skills, experience and enthusiasm to make a tremendous impact in making cities more livable.

Three cheers for volunteers!  You rock!

Join in! Become a volunteer, check out our roster of current opportunities or subscribe to Dig In!, our newsletter for volunteers.

Comments Off | Events, Volunteer | Permalink
Posted by Jenn from Communications

Craft Corner: Making a Simple Bird Feeder

March 11, 2010

The finished product, waiting for visitors! (Photo: Evergreen)

Watching the birds come and go from a backyard feeder can be fun and stress relieving. Enticing them to your lawn or shared space doesn’t have to be complicated either. With a few simple steps, you can create a low-cost feeder using found materials and a few other basic household items.

This is a great activity to do with children, or to bring out the child within!

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1 Comment | Craft Corner, Gardening, How to Love Winter | Permalink
Posted by Jenn from Communications

“I Really Felt That I Had Helped The World”

February 2, 2010

For children, nature is a hands-on experience rich with the possibilities of engagement and learning. “Ask any of the Grade 5/6 class at St. Mark Separate School what a white pine looks like and they’ll tell you,” says Emily Adams, stewardship co-ordinator for Evergreen’s Common Grounds Program.

“They might even introduce you by name to a white pine they’ve planted at Sawmill Creek Park in Mississauga. They’ll surely tell you that white pine is easily identified by their needles in bundles of five, and be able to estimate the age of this provincial tree.”

When the class wrote letters to Evergreen, recounting their experience at a recent planting they attended, we were all glad to take a break from our regular routine and read their joyful accounts.

Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

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2 Comments | School Ground Greening | Permalink
Posted by Jenn from Communications

Craft Corner: Making Butter

November 27, 2009

Jenn and Aimee - butter-makers in action. (Photo: Melissa Yu)

This week we threw a party to give thanks to more than 70 volunteers from across the GTA.

Part of the festivities included a workshop on making butter, which I led along with Aimee, Evergreen’s community food program co-ordinator. Everyone who participated got to take home the fruits of their labour in jars donated by Bernardin for the event.

Follow the recipe below for a deliciously homemade gift idea, or make and serve as a special touch to your holiday dinner party.

Happy butter making!

Ingredients

1 cup of whipping cream
1 tsp of rosemary, thyme or your favourite seasoning (optional)

Directions

1. Pour one cup of cream into a container that seals.

2. Shake vigorously for 15 to 20 minutes. It helps to have a partner to share the shaking!

3. Once you have a solid ball, drain off the buttermilk and rinse the ball under cold water.

4. For a unique flavoured butter, mix in a teaspoon of your favourite seasoning.

5. Serve!

The end result (Photo: Michelle Scrivener)

Comments Off | Craft Corner, Food | Permalink
Posted by Jenn from Communications

Give a Gift that Grows

November 25, 2009

Just in time for the holidays, Evergreen invites you to give the Gift of Nature. Cross that hard to buy for person off your list with a donation to Evergreen in their honour.

For each donation made, a personalized card will be sent to your loved one detailing how your gift has helped to support Evergreen’s mission of making cities more livable.

Should your donation be $45 or more, a seed packet of heritage tomatoes will be included inside the card along with planting instructions. After starting the seeds indoors, the tomatoes will thrive in a window box or balcony container for a gift that truly keeps on growing.

To give the Gift of Nature, please visit our website to download the Gift of Nature form.

Comments Off | Funding, News, Uncategorized | Permalink
Posted by Jenn from Communications

Gearing up for 2010

November 4, 2009
construction journal pic

The John Price Brick Press (Photo by: Bill Deneau)

How many cranes does it take to raise a crane?  What makes a “cool roof” cool?

Find the answers to these questions and more on the Evergreen Brick Works construction journal. Updated weekly, the journal follows the transformation of an abandoned brick factory into a cutting-edge environmental community centre, set to open spring 2010.

Get an inside look at this unique project from the comfort of your computer: Hard hat not required.

Comments Off | Evergreen Brick Works, Toronto | Permalink
Posted by Jenn from Communications

Happy Halloween!

November 3, 2009
MYU

My Be The Root mask and the Be The Root ad. (Photo: Melissa Yu)

In the Marketing and Communications department we can never resist an opportunity to do arts and crafts.

Inspired by our Be The Root ad campaign, we made Halloween masks and on Friday we paraded around the office, surprising our colleagues. What better way to wrap up a work week than free chocolate and a group of walking trees?

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The team incognito. (Photo: Melissa Yu)

Comments Off | Staff, Toronto | Permalink
Posted by Jenn from Communications

Excitement’s in the Air

September 9, 2009

After years of planning and months of prepping the site, the crane is up!

crane

The crane is up. (Photo: Bill Deneau)

Construction at Evergreen Brick Works is progressing with new changes every week. Stay tuned to our construction journal and follow our progress step-by-step.

Comments Off | Evergreen Brick Works | Permalink
Posted by Jenn from Communications

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