INSPIRING STORIES
Each month we present a link to stories that profile individuals and groups who are involved in creative projects relating to climate change and social justice.
Ontario tree pageant
Tree Trust is hosting a Provincial Tree Pageant inviting folks to enter a tree they treasure. Send in a fetching photo of your special tree along with 20-30 words about why it is important to you or your community. The competition is the first of its kind, you can find more details on our website. A panel of judges will award the winners during Forest Week in September.
Bags to Sleeping Mats
The two pillars of Pivot Green are climate change and social justice issues. A creative program that originated in Waterloo, Ontario manages to combine these two goals. Called Bags to Sleeping Mats, groups are collecting plastic bags and converting them into sleeping mats for homeless people. It's a terrific initiative.
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​Photo by MTSOfan
Think local on climate change
Neighbours helping neighbours fight climate change! A neighbourhood group in Toronto has created a Couchside Climate Action program focused on “small ways you can make a big difference without leaving your home/neighbourhood.” Online workshops are being offered on reducing food waste, sustainable living through gardening as well as cycling readiness and clothing repair.
Success in campaign to protect 250-year old tree
The pictures don’t do it justice. Its breadth defies two-dimensionality. What seems like another big oak in photos is, in person, so lavish in proportion that it has been known to elicit uncontrollable laughs, buckling knees and incredulity among first-time visitors.
Food for Thought
In this latest Hidden Gems podcast, Food for Thought, host and Pivot Greener, Tom Scanlan, tackles the issue of food waste and food production. Tom interviews Julia Girmenia about Not Far from the Tree, a program that salvages fruit from backyard trees and Mike Gallay who tells Tom about the planter boxes he builds and shares with others
With season cancelled, ecotourism groups tackle marine waste
When COVID-19 prevented the 2020 tourism season from going ahead, eco-tourism operators in coastal BC banded together to put their resources to use. The Marine Debris Removal Initiative employed over 100 locals aboard 9 BC-owned tour vessels to clear 127 tonnes of marine debris from over 500 km of coastline. This is a great example of using the COVID-19 pandemic to pivot green.