To keep you better informed about what’s going on at Evergreen, we’ve launched a brand new Newsroom. It’s got the latest on all our activities across Canada, from stewardship in BC, to school ground greening in Halifax, to workshops at Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto.

All our old blog entries here will stay in place for the time being, but future posts will appear only in the Newsroom.

Don’t forget to update your RSS feeds and bookmarks!

Learning Grounds Associates and Evergreen staff at the annual Learning Grounds Forum 2010 (Photo: Miguel Hortiguela)

Evergreen’s National Associates Program welcomes two new additions to our nationwide network of on-the-ground experts.

Our National Associates are located across Canada in 11 communities from coast to coast. Until this past year, these experts in Design and Greening were focused on working with our local partners and recipients of the Toyota Evergreen Learning Grounds grants.

Recently, we recognized the need to expand this network to include support for Evergreen’s Common Grounds programming across the country, including The Home Depot Rebuilding Nature Grants and Walmart–Evergreen Green Grant recipients. Although the program is still a work in progress, we are excited to say that we have already added Associates in Calgary and Kitchener and plan to grow more this year.

This change marks an exciting new stage for Evergreen. By merging our community and school grounds greening programs, we are making a broader range of information and expertise available in Canadian cities and towns, allowing us to support all of our partners and projects in deeper and more meaningful ways.

  

L: Shannon Kavanaugh, our new Kitchener and Guelph area Associate
R: Erin McMahon, our new Calgary-based Associate

Please join us in welcoming Shannon Kavanaugh and Erin McMahon! We are excited to share their knowledge and skills with our growing community.

A student's nature journal. (Photo: Claudia Bolli)

By: Claudia Bolli

The Grade 1 students at Brightview School in Edmonton have adopted a different pet than most kids would choose. After their teacher Linda Wight participated in the Outdoor Classroom Institute this past summer, they were inspired to adopt trees near their school. Each child also keeps a nature journal with portraits of their trees and pressed leaves as well as other things they learned outdoors.

Portrait of a student's adopted tree. (Photo: Claudia Bolli)

Linda and her students are also busy with a successful indoor growing project. I recently went to visit them because TelusTV was filming a story about it. Linda started this garden through the Cityfarm’s Little Green Thumbs Program that I co-ordinate. The students showed me how they help out with caring for the plants, including pruning and transplanting. After the first crop of plants is finished, Linda plans to grow flower seedlings and transplant them to an outdoor naturescape in spring.

Thanks to her experience with Evergreen’s programs, both Linda and her students have been able to spend more time outside connecting with nature.

Claudia Bolli is one of our School Ground Greening Consultants based in Edmonton, Alberta. To get in touch with one of our Associates in your area, visit our website or our Expert Assistance page to send your questions to our staff.

Herbs growing on a deck (Photo: Evergreen)

Urban agriculture may sound a little strange and daunting but it has become an important part of living in the city. It allows us to be more self-sufficient and puts fresh, healthy food at our fingertips. Not to mention the satisfaction you get from knowing that the vegetables and herbs you’re eating are cut from plants grown and tended by you!

With spring around the corner, now is the perfect time to start preparing for a new season of planting. If you’re eager to take part but not sure where to begin, Evergreen has a range of resources for you.

L: Planting a herb spiral R: Finished spiral (Photos: Evergreen)

From organic pest control methods for your window or balcony garden to starting your own herb spiral to storage and cooking, we’ve got you covered from seed to harvest to table.

Fresh tomatoes (Photo: Evergreen)

Visit our website to download these handy fact sheets and more. And, if you’re in the Toronto area, stay tuned for the re-opening of Evergreen Gardens in April, where you can find tools, plants, seeds and advice to get you through the year. Happy growing!

If you’ve attended one of Evergreen’s many activities and events then Mike Derblich might look familiar. Mike is one of our volunteer photographers who helps us beautifully capture our human and wildlife visitors. He joined our team over a year ago and we recently had a chance to sit down and talk to him.

What I like about Evergreen: I have always loved the site and used to visit before it became Evergreen Brick Works to hike and occasionally cross country ski as it is part of the local ravine system. I like the style of the site now and the way in which Evergreen has preserved it while still making it accessible.

When I’m not volunteering: I like to keep busy and be outdoors. I kayak, hike and until recently, spent a lot of time on my houseboat. I am also in the process of digitizing over 4000 slides, and spending time with  my two grandchildren, aged 2 and 5.

What I enjoy about my role: I love taking pictures! I am able to take pictures of really interesting people and wildlife. It also allows me to observe many interesting events that take place at Evergreen throughout the year such as the “All Hands in Dirt” seminar.

My favourite Evergreen memory: One day I was walking with my grandson in a stroller and I was able to walk right up to a hawk and take some close-up pictures. It was like he was posing for me!

Hawk (Photo: Mike Derblich)

For me, Evergreen is: My backyard, my neighbourhood, where I live. I feel a sense of ownership when I’m at the site.

Here are some of the animal inhabitants Mike’s seen this season at Evergreen Brick Works.

(Photo: Mike Derblich)

(Photo: Mike Derblich)

(Photo: Mike Derblich)

Evergreen is currently building its dedicated team of Event Photographers.  Visit our Volunteer Opportunities page to find out more about this role and others.

By: Sarah Weaver

Sabina Ali is a busy lady. A mother of 4, she’s involved in several initiatives and committees across Toronto including the Thorncliffe Park Women’s Committee, Access Capital Fund, Thorncliffe Park Kindergarten School Design Team, Women at Work and Evergreen.

An invaluable member of our Neighbourhood Engagement Committee, Sabina first heard about Evergreen through her work with the Thorncliffe Park Women’s Committee. In May 2010, the group set up an information table for Doors Open Toronto at Evergreen Brick Works. Sabina also worked with the event’s food vendors to assist them in using local and sustainable products where possible.

Back again in September for Community Day, Sabina and the other women were a hit—bringing food, activities and a large draw of people from their neighbourhood.

She loves to bring her kids down to Evergreen Brick Works, where they spend the whole day learning together. For Sabina, it provides a much-needed connection to nature since there is a lack of green space where they live.

In addition to connecting with nature, Sabina and the women she works with enjoy the opportunity to meet people from all over Toronto in a central spot. This, she says, is one of the reasons she loves Evergreen and it’s a big part of why we love our work too!

To learn more about the Neighbourhood Engagement Committee or to become a member, contact Shaji Kangapadan at skangapadan@evergreen.ca.

Little bluestem (Photo: Garrett, Jerry @ Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Native Plant Information Network Image Gallery (website))

Although mostly buried under snow these days, Schizachyrium scoparium has its roots deep underground, sometimes growing to around 2 m.

Unlike the grasses on our home lawns with roots of less than 10 cm, our native grasses and sedges go deep, enabling them to thrive in the dry and sunny habitats of prairies and meadows.

Little bluestem is a common grass found in Ontario and westward to British Columbia, ornamental all year with big bunches of leaves that turn mahogany red in the fall with purple/bronze seeds with white tufts. It’s eaten by many birds and by the larvae of some skipper butterflies, and provides habitat and cover for both birds and small mammals.

Find out more about little bluestem and other native grasses on Evergreen’s Native Plant Database.

February begins with a snow storm. How fitting. (Photo: Lea Anne Armstrong)

During the month of February (the shortest but coldest) Evergreen wants you to get outside and find the funshine! Whether it’s a lovely walk with your dog, snowshoeing in the park, or a majestic icicle on your stoop, we want to see how you’re connecting with nature.

Post your “funshine” photos to our Facebook wall from now until the end of the month and the image with the most “likes” will win a prize! Make sure to include captions.

So bundle up, get outside and good luck!

On the set of Leisure Talk! at Fairchild Television (Photo: Nate Habermeyer)

By Mildred Ho

After Evergreen was featured in Ming Pao, a leading Chinese newspaper, we received another opportunity to reach out to the Chinese community through a one hour TV interview with Fairchild TV called “Leisure Talk!”

Fairchild TV caters to Chinese Canadians living in Toronto and Vancouver. The filming took place on December 14 and the show will air in March. And what a pleasant surprise, our host was Dennis So ( 蘇敏聰), a well known actor from Hong Kong!

The whole experience was refreshing, fun and exciting; we had our makeup done, got our message out and an exclusive look of the TV studios! We feel very fortunate about the opportunity and we look forward to collaborating some more with FairchildTV as well as the Chinese community!

Beverley & Bill at the Welcome Desk (Photo: Sarah Weaver)

Bill Wilson and Beverley Auburn are two of the friendliest faces that you are likely to see when you visit Evergreen Brick Works. That’s because Bill and Beverley make up part of our Volunteer Welcome Host team. Despite only starting in June 2010, both have left lasting impressions on the Evergreen Staff and the many people who visit the site on a daily basis!  Recently we asked them about their volunteer experience at Evergreen to learn more about what motivates them.

Why they volunteer: For both Beverley and Bill being a Welcome Host is rewarding in many ways. They both expressed how nice it has been to  be associated with an initiative that the city of Toronto needs and to see how the site has changed over the last six months. Beverley likes learning about Evergreen Brick Works and sharing the information as well as frequently engaging visitors in interesting conversations. Bill loves seeing how positive everyone is when they come to Evergreen Brick Works and witnessing how much everyone is enjoying the site.

About Evergreen: Beverley sees Evergreen as a jigsaw puzzle and a mosaic because together, the different facets of our work demonstrate how nature is interconnected with everything we do.  Bill seconds that and also points out the imaginative side of this work.

Favourite Evergreen Spot: For Beverley, the ponds have always been a favourite destination. She has been walking around them for years and finds there is always something new to see or hear. Bill loves the site overall, and watching it transform in a sustainable way has been a real treat.

Last Thoughts: Bill: I am looking forward to the future and seeing how the site will continue to grow, especially Chimney Court!

Beverley: When I first heard there were changes coming to the site, I cringed and worried at the prospect of insensitive development or hordes of people. However, Evergreen’s mission statement in general caused me to keep an open mind  and eventually consider volunteering — and seeing how the whole project has evolved has actually been exciting. Almost before I realized it, I was a convert!

A big thank you to both Beverly and Bill!