Community Knowledge Centre - Toronto Community Foundation

About this organization

Mission

Earthroots is a leading grassroots environmental organization dedicated to the preservation of Ontario’s wilderness, wildlife, and watersheds through research, education and action. We work in coalition with other conservation organizations to coordinate the best strategies to move issues forward. Earthroots uses many techniques to gain increased protection for Ontario’s wild spaces, watersheds and biodiversity, including public education and mobilization, advocacy, research, media awareness, and peaceful activism. We have found that using all these tools together is an effective approach to achieving real results on the ground.

History of Organization

Founded as the Temagami Wilderness Society in 1986, the organization began with a focus on protecting Temagami’s unique old-growth red and white pine forests. Through a large scale public outreach campaign, an on-going series of peaceful protests, media events, and ground-breaking primary research in this endangered ecosystem, Earthroots was successful in raising international awareness about the importance of and threats to Temagami. By acting as a leading advocate and participant in the Temagami Comprehensive Land Use Planning Process from 1990-1996, Earthroots helped to accomplish the permanent protection of 44% of the ancient red and white pine forests in the region.

In 1991 the organization changed its name to Earthroots in order to broaden its mandate to conservation issues across the province. Earthroots continues to use its grassroots expertise to organize, educate and mobilize the public, conduct successful media events, carry out research projects, advocate for stronger legislation, and ensure proper land-use planning both for our northern forests and greenspaces in southern Ontario. We represent approximately 12,000 supporters and the majority of our funding comes from the public. In the spring of 2010 Earthroots was nominated as one of the top 10 finalists for Earth Day Canada’s Hometown Heroes Award.

Accolades and Accomplishments

Temagami's Ancient Pine Forests

• Protection of 44% of Temagami’s ancient pine forests (1996)
• Implementation of integrated resource and recreation management planning (2004)
• Increased protection of the Solace Wildlands by halting the construction of a logging bridge across the Sturgeon River (2009)

Parks and Protected Areas

• Protection of 2.4 million hectares of public land through the Lands for Life planning process (1999)
• Introduction of a new Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act with stronger legislation for protected areas (2005)

Wolf Conservation

• Protection of Algonquin Park’s threatened wolf population with a permanent ban on hunting and trapping wolves around the park (2004)
• Implementation of the first restrictions on wolf hunting as part of a broader wolf conservation strategy (2005)
• Protection of wolves and coyotes from hunting in the Kawartha Highlands (2009)

Southern Ontario Greenspaces

• Protection of 190,000 hectares of threatened wetlands, marshes and forests through the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act (2001)
• Protection of 1.8 million acres of environmentally sensitive / agricultural lands in the Golden Horseshoe under the Greenbelt Act (2005)
• Combined efforts with local citizens and STORM Coalition defeated a controversial water diversion / development proposal in Fraserville (2010) 

Programs

>Earthroots Environmental Education: Empowering Southern Ontario Youth
>Protecting Southern Ontario’s Greenspaces

With urban sprawl stretching from Oshawa to Hamilton and Niagara, and with growth estimates projecting about 4 million new residents for Southern Ontario by 2031, healthy watersheds, wildlife habitat, and prime agricultural land are all being threatened by urban sprawl. Regardless of where we live, we all rely on the natural services provided by the greenspaces surrounding our communities. These services include storing and filtering our drinking water and providing clean air and soil – this in turn supports wildlife / biodiversity and enables us to produce local sustainable food. Our greenspaces also provide us with countless recreational opportunities and give us a sense of identity and a connection to our natural heritage.

Since 1998 Earthroots has been working to protect vital greenspaces in Southern Ontario. We are one of the groups that first advocated for protection of the Oak Ridges Moraine, and then the larger Provincial Greenbelt. While the Greenbelt was a huge victory, we must view it as a good first step. The level of protection actually offered within the Greenbelt is being compromised by certain policy gaps and weaknesses. As the Greenbelt nears its first review in 2015, our current campaigns are focused on improving this legislation while researching and monitoring what is happening on the ground and evaluating the effectiveness of existing policies.

Although our campaigns are by nature focused on areas outside of the city, our office is located in the heart of downtown Toronto and the majority of our outreach work is focused within the GTA. Public mobilization is key when advocating for policy change – Earthroots is raising awareness and educating Ontarians about the issues affecting their local environment while empowering citizens by giving them the tools to engage in and affect the decision making processes that are shaping the future of our communities.

Earthroots Environmental Education: Empowering Southern Ontario Youth

Over the last 3 years, Earthroots has developed an education program focusing on the importance of the Oak Ridges Moraine and Ontario’s Greenbelt. Our classroom presentations detail the natural services provided by these areas, the on-going threats they face, and real actions students can take to make a difference in their own lives, schools and communities. As part of this program we created an activity kit based on curriculum requirements to encourage teachers to build upon lessons learned from our presentations.

Earthroots is seeking funding to expand this program. Our vision is to move away from an honorarium based system and build a self-sustaining program funded by student organized events and fundraisers. Our new program would involve engaging in follow-up sessions with students to help them identify a specific environmental issue they would like to support. Students would plan and organize their own event to raise awareness and funds for the issue, giving them a real sense of ownership. A portion of the funds would support our outreach work, helping us sustain the program and bring it to other schools. Ultimately our goal is to empower more students by giving them knowledge and the tools to take meaningful action.

Funding and Program Partners

Earthroots has currently applied for grants for our education program through the Gainey Foundation, and the Rasch Foundation; we are currently awaiting responses from both foundations. We will continue to seek foundation support for this program as opportunities become available.

Program Impact

We believe that in order to address the environmental issues Southern Ontario is currently struggling with, such as urban sprawl and biodiversity loss, we must meaningfully engage youth and get them thinking about the things that are shaping their own communities. Many of Ontario’s youth feel disenchanted by political processes because they are not old enough to vote. By encouraging, supporting and showing students how they can become engaged and involved in decision making processes without voting, we can empower them to become effective and active democratic citizens with the tools and confidence to affect meaningful change throughout their lives.

Toronto's Vital Signs® indicator(s) addressed by Program

"The City faces daunting challenges in upgrading infrastructure and reestablishing a healthy urban environment." (Toronto’s Vital Signs®, 2009)

Many of our policy makers do not think beyond their own term in office which presents a major challenge; the environmental issues we face in Southern Ontario are systemic and meaningful change must be built slowly over the long term. For this reason, true shifts and real progress must involve empowering and involving youth in these pressing issues. That is precisely the aim of Earthroots' education program. As suggested by Toronto's Vital Signs, we must continue to invest in the future of our city, which includes helping youth develop the tools, leadership skills, and confidence to be active, effective, and progressive democratic citizens.

Participant Vignette

"Working with Earthroots on their educational programming has been a pleasure. Earthroots’ staff are extremely adaptable and are constantly seeking to engage in meaningful dialogue regarding environmental issues. This takes many forms from the outreach work they accomplish in the wider community to their efforts within Ontario’s school system. Their innovative school programs include engaging high school environment clubs, developing hands-on learning materials for their presentations, and writing and performing creative plays for elementary aged students. The energy and enthusiasm they bring to all their projects is evident in their tireless efforts to reach more people and wider audiences. Recently, they have begun to add training sessions for environmental activists to their repertoire as well. Their work with youth is comprehensive providing the right balance between information and action, discussion of issues and solutions. This balance is reflective of their awareness of the needs of young learners and a desire to motivate action, not overwhelm students with the complexity and enormity of the world’s environmental problems. The Earthroots team comprises a group of people that are truly committed to improving and protecting our shared environment; they work towards this task with humour and grace, constantly seeking more opportunities to connect with others and find solutions to Ontario’s environmental challenges. I look forward to more opportunities to volunteer with Earthroots and assist them with their educational programming."

-Carly Armstrong, MA Environmental Education and Communications

Protecting Southern Ontario’s Greenspaces

Earthroots continues to play a leading role the implementation and monitoring of the Oak Ridges Moraine and Greenbelt legislation. Weak policies regulating damaging aggregate extraction operations as well as new infrastructure projects like highways and pipelines have resulted in numerous projects moving forward on sensitive areas of the Greenbelt. As a result, certain environmentally destructive projects are being allowed to continue on allegedly ‘protected’ areas of the Greenbelt.

Earthroots is working on two separate research projects examining these issues. In 2008, we completed a case study examining the damaging effects that golf courses on the Oak Ridges Moraine are having on sensitive groundwater features in the Aurora/Newmarket area (Ontario’s Water Hazard). As a follow-up to this project, we are examining the water usage practices of golf courses, aggregate operations, industry, and municipalities across the Moraine. We are also involved in a collaborative project examining the effectiveness of the Greenbelt’s policies surrounding the protection of invaluable wetlands. The results of this research will be shared with relevant stakeholders including policy makers, the public, media, and other conservation groups. Our results will help us form recommendations for the upcoming review of the Greenbelt in 2015.

Funding and Program Partners

Earthroots’ 2008 report, Ontario’s Water Hazard: Examining the Cumulative Impacts of Golf Courses on Our Water Resources was a joint project completed with Ecojustice (formerly Sierra Legal Defence Fund). Our current Oak Ridges Moraine research examining the water usage of large water takers on the Moraine is another Earthroots-Ecojustice collaboration that has been generously funded by the Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation and the McLean Foundation.

Our work examining the Greenbelt’s wetland policies is a collaboration with Ecojustice, Ontario Nature, and Ducks Unlimited Canada – this project has been generously funded by the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation.

Program Impact

This work is an integral step building up to the 2015 review of Ontario’s Greenbelt, a process where Earthroots will be a strong voice advocating for increased protection of the Greenbelt’s invaluable forests, watersheds, and near-urban agricultural lands. The results of this research will also build our outreach campaigns and help us to mobilize the public prior to the review process. This project will enable Earthroots to give people the tools they need to advocate for the protection of the vital greenspaces in their own communities – the places that Southern Ontarians rely upon for long-term health and sustainability.

Toronto's Vital Signs® indicator(s) addressed by Program

“Six Major Watersheds (the Rouge, the Don, the Humber, the Highland, Etobicoke, and Mimico) drain into Lake Ontario along the 45 km of Toronto Waterfront. Almost half the waterfront is urbanized and will be under severe pressure as the population of Toronto, Pee, and York grows by an anticipated 1,200,000 (26%) between 2006 and 2031.” (Toronto’s Vital Signs®, 2009)

This quote exemplifies the level of growth currently happening in the GTA, and the impacts that this growth is having on one of the most important natural resources that our communities rely on. While Toronto’s Vital Signs focuses on steps being taken within Toronto to protect these watersheds, Earthroots’ work seeks to address the very same issues by protecting these watersheds at their source. All of these watersheds originate from within the Greenbelt – a healthy and well protected Greenbelt (and its water resources) is integral for the health of Lake Ontario and Toronto’s drinking water.

Participant Vignette

"Volunteering with Earthroots has been incredibly rewarding. Getting a glimpse into what it’s like to work for a non-profit environmental group has been an eye-opener for me. Understanding the challenges / rewards that environmental organizations face has been a valuable learning experience. Growing up in Stouffville, I have always valued the importance of the Oak Ridges Moraine, both as a water source, and a place for recreational opportunities. When I met staff from Earthroots in 2008, they were participating in U of T’s environmental career day. I was excited to hear about the work they were doing to get stronger protection in place for the Moraine. When I followed-up on the volunteering opportunity, the staff were diligent about finding me the right task; something that would be meaningful for me, and helpful to them. I assisted Earthroots in their work to curb urban sprawl and protecting key watersheds, by engaging with municipal planners in the Greenbelt, and trying to ensure that their municipalities were conforming with the regional planning tools and the provincial environmental policies they are operating under. Having just graduated from U of T, I am now considering furthering my education, and pursuing a Masters of Public Health, and Epidemiology. My time with Earthroots has been invaluable, and connects to what I am interested in studying. It is admirable how staff there work so hard to draw the links between human health, how our communities are constructed, and the preservation of our key natural features."

-Josephine Lau, Volunteer