Evergreen News – November 2006 Vol. 4, Issue 6

? The Brick Works Comes Alive in 2006!
? First organic wine in a tetra pak benefits Evergreen
? Whole Foods Market donates $4,000 to Evergreen
? Evergreen?s Calgary office officially launched
? Eva?s youth reap garden rewards
? Stewards in the City
? Street Stewards
? Shade for Kids

The Brick Works Comes Alive in 2006!
(Image) From April to October 2006, Evergreen at the Brick Works, in Toronto, carried out an exciting first season of programming. We successfully delivered 25 fun and educational events and engaged 5,000 people in walking tours, workshops and activities with experts in photography, urban naturalization, arts, Aboriginal culture, yoga, rappelling and healthy living, among others. Event and program partners as well as local media, including CBC Radio, CTV News, The Mirror and The Little Paper, helped publicize the events.
During this period Evergreen also increased planting and park maintenance events at the Brickworks. Many corporate and community groups and youth-at-risk took part in the tree plantings in the spring and wildflower plantings in the fall.
Thank you to the more than 90 volunteers who enthusiastically contributed close to 1,800 hours of valuable time and energy to this year?s events (valued at over $21,000). Regardless of the task, they always rose to the occasion!
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First organic wine in a tetra pak benefits Evergreen
(Image) Evergreen and Botter Family Wines formally announced their partnership on September 22nd in the promotion of the first wine in a Tetra Pak made from organically grown grapes.
Produced in Italy by the family-owned and operated estate of the Botter Family, the white and two red wines are sold through the LCBO with proceeds supporting Evergreen. Between June 2006 and June 2009, Evergreen is receiving 10 cents of every Tetra Pak and other alternative packaging unit sold by importer The Case for Wine. Botter Family wines–called Alex, Luca and Anna, after the siblings in the third grape-growing generation of the Botter family–retail for $12.95 each.
The partnership between Evergreen and Botter Family wines was initiated by the LCBO. Funds to Evergreen will flow through the LCBO?s Natural Heritage Fund.
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Whole Foods Market donates $4,000 of day?s sales to Evergreen
(Image) On September 20th, Evergreen was chosen to receive 5% of Whole Foods Market gross sales for the day from their store on 87 Avenue Road in Toronto.
Evergreen staff and two dedicated volunteers were on hand to meet customers and answer questions. For our efforts Evergreen received over $4,000. This money will support programs that promote growing organic food on school grounds, a powerful learning tool to improve student health and understanding of food supply and how it affects the environment.
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Evergreen?s Calgary office officially launched
On the evening of September 22nd, Evergreen officially launched the most recent addition to its family ? the Calgary office. Attendees were treated to food, wine, and a slide show highlighting our activities over the past four months and our direction for the future. Cathy Glover from the Suncor Energy Foundation was also on hand to express their overwhelming support for Evergreen?s operations in Calgary.
Moving ahead, Evergreen will kick off the expansion of our partnership with the City of Calgary by presenting a two-part Introduction to Grant Seeking workshop for community groups and individuals hoping to jump start their own restoration and stewardship projects. The session will offer practical tips and ideas for writing strong, compelling proposals that get results. On the second night, participants will be given the opportunity to work on real proposals to evaluate what works and what doesn?t.
For more information on these workshops or Evergreen?s other upcoming projects in the Calgary area, contact Carolyn Scotchmer at carolyn@evergreen.ca or 403-473-0318.
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Eva?s youth reap garden rewards
(Image)The young people from Eva?s Phoenix Garden Collective in Toronto are used to showing up for their meetings in their grubbiest work clothes, ready to weed and water the vegetable garden. The opportunity to dress up in all of their finery made the final garden celebration, a four course meal at the elegant River Restaurant, an extra- special treat.
Since 2004, Evergreen has partnered with Eva?s Phoenix, a 50-bed shelter for homeless youth, to grow vegetables and native plants in their garden. Evergreen staff provided workshops to the youth on gardening and joined in on weekly work days.
This season two volunteers also joined the collective, coming once a week, and lending their expertise and enthusiasm to the project. Jane Hutton and Netami Stuart are both landscape architects and enjoyed the opportunity to plan interesting activities with the youth. Everyones efforts culminated in the final Harvest Feast at River Restaurant.
Evergreens work with Eva?s Phoenix is made possible through the support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the dedicated volunteers and the enthusiasm of all the youth who belong to the collective. Congratulations on a successful season!
To learn more about Evergreens partnerships with social service agencies contact erika@evergreen.ca
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Stewards in the City
The fall is always a busy time for Vancouver?s Stewards in the City program. We are working with volunteers, municipal staff, service groups and schools to plant native plants and remove invasive species on sites across the Lower Mainland.
So far volunteers have removed over 30m3 of invasive species this fall (primarily English ivy and Scotch broom) from 10 sites in the Greater Vancouver Area. We are always looking for volunteers, either individuals or groups, interested in restoring the ecological health of their local areas.
For more information or to get involved, please contact Andrew Appleton at 604-689-0766 x22 or email andrew@evergreen.ca
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Street Stewards
The third year of our Street Stewards program has seen lots of changes in the Ridgeway neighbourhood of North Vancouver. Some plants have gotten so big that they need to be cut back and others have to be divided. The gardens have filled in and matured. Everyone is starting to refresh their mulch covering and plan ways to customize their circles. A special thanks goes out to Diane Doe (and everyone who helped her), who did a great job of bringing her large circle at 12th and St. Andrews back from the brink of becoming a jungle.
Anyone interested in learning about this program, volunteering or just checking out some fine examples of traffic circle gardens is welcome to contact Alyssa Semczyszyn at 604-689-0766 x 23 or email alyssa@evergreen.ca. Check out more about Street Stewards on line at www.evergreen.ca.
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Shade for Kids
Have you ever stood on an asphalt school ground in June? Heat waves lick the legs of little bodies. The sun beats down relentlessly, sapping energy and scorching unprotected skin. Children squint longingly at the trees at the back edge of the school property, trees that are unfortunately off-limits.
Providing shade for kids seems basic, but it?s not the reality on many Canadian school grounds. That?s why the Toyota Evergreen Learning Grounds Program is advocating for change at both the school and school board level ? change that?s as simple as planting trees.
Our new policy primer for school boards builds on the success of Designing for Shade and Energy Conservation, the award-winning guide for schools co-published by Evergreen and the Toronto District School Board. It outlines six steps Boards can take to create a shade strategy and provides a helpful list of resources from organizations around the world that are leading the way in this work.
Shade. It?s about our children?s health. We all have a role to play. Read the guide Shade for Kids A Policy Primer for School Boards.pdf (6.2M)