Canada is home to about 80,000 species. Canada’s Boreal Forest alone is host to over 85 species of mammals and 32,000 insects. An estimated 3 billion birds breed in the boreal forest each year and as the largest intact forest on earth, many other species rely on the Boreal forest for their habitat, food and shelter. Across Canada, many species face numerous threats to survival.

Growing up in the north has been an incredible privilege, so much so that after 30 years, I’ve returned to help repatriate our First Nation, Sand Point, located on the southeast shores of Lake Nipigon. The people of Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek have been occupying these lands since time immemorial. In more recent times, the people [...]

I’m heading to Forests Ontario’s 9th Annual Conference February 16-17. Here are a few things I’m looking forward to… The theme of this Forests Ontario Conference is “Growing a Healthy Tomorrow,” focusing on the integral role nature and forests play in our everyday lives. This two-day event will bring together a wide variety of academics, forestry, conservation and biodiversity experts, Indigenous innovators, business leaders, sustainability professionals and government policymakers […]

I was catching up on my news last week and came across RBC’s John Stackhouse’s reflections on Davos. In his piece The MehMeh-conomy & Matterhorn-sized risk: 12 themes for a fragmented world, I was very pleased to see #8 in particular. “Soil, the new gold.” Why so pleased, you might ask? Stackhouse explains that Davos sessions on […]

On #NationalMentalHealthDay, I’m reflecting on the topic of youth mental health and the need for more nature in young people’s lives. The research on the correlation between screen time and poor mental health is telling. Every additional hour above the recommended 2-hour threshold that a young person spends on their screen is connected to a higher likelihood of having health issues like […]

I reflected on this over the weekend as I dug into The Guardian’s recent investigation into the voluntary carbon credit market. The subject of its reporting is Verra, currently the world’s most widely used greenhouse gas (GHG) crediting program… I could delve into the duelling methodologies that are fueling this back-and-forth exchange between The Guardian and Verra, but I’ll cut to the point for carbon market investors[…]

Canada’s Forest Trust Corporation (CFT) has exciting news to share with students and teachers nationwide. We have just launched the first Smart Forest location in New Brunswick’s endangered Acadian forest region. Through the support of School Smart Forest Stewards, we will restore 95 acres of previously devastated land, bring back biodiversity, clean air and water, and support the local economy.

With growth and impact driving innovation and investments, climate-tech start-ups are proving that when focusing on profits as the most important metric to success, they will achieve greater planetary impact in the long-term.

School fundraisers have earned a mixed reputation. Fundraising is a powerful tool that allows students to select and support causes they believe in, fund new opportunities, clubs, sports teams, and events, deepen their connections to their community, and develop valuable organization and leadership skills. For example, in 2019 public schools across Ontario raised over $583 [...]

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic (STEM) skills have been traditionally valued and rewarded in spaces such as medical, software engineering, and financial careers. With the number of severe environmental issues (biodiversity loss, climate change, air pollution...) the world faces, there is a need for STEM subjects and skills to be at the forefront of solving [...]

Planting billions of trees around the world has been proven to be one of the biggest and cheapest ways of tackling climate change. According to scientists, planting billions of trees is possible and is an effective, nature-based approach to removing CO2 from the atmosphere to mitigate the climate crisis. Quick facts about planting billions of [...]

The global response to COVID-19 and recent adoption of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) are strong reminders of the value of applying a climate lens to big systemic challenges and risks. To tackle COVID-19, the World Bank, IMF, other international financial institutions, and national governments pursued a green recovery strategy to manage the ensuing [...]