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*All recordings are available for 60 days.
3-Part Webinar Series
*All registrants will be provided with a link to the recording and presentation slides following each session. The recording will be available for 60 days.
With extreme heat events hitting Canadian cities this summer, urban forests offer crucial relief. Yet, not all city residents have access to shady, cool streets or the other benefits that trees provide. Join us for a three-part webinar series where you'll learn about tree equity, explore how mapping the issue can drive positive change, and discover how to prioritize equity in your tree planting projects. This series aims to inspire action across Canada, empowering you to be part of the solution.
Date: September 11, 2024
Speaker #1: Peter Croal & Patricia Stirbys, National Healing Forest Initiative
Speaker #2: Becca Robinson & Aaron Boonstra, Reep Green Solutions
Let's put theory into action! When planning new planting projects, focus on underserved neighborhoods to make sure trees are more equitably spread across your community. Hear from the National Healing Forest Initiative, and Kitchener-based organization Reep Green Solutions to discover the innovative approaches they are using to inspire more equitable and impactful tree plantings for all.
Presentation slides (National Healing Forest Initiative)
Presentation slides (Reep Green Solutions)
Date: September 4, 2024
Speaker #1: Saadiq Mohiuddin, Calgary Climate Hub
Speaker #2: Connie Pinto, City of Toronto
Tree equity is relatively new in Canada, however, community groups and municipalities are already on the path of working towards an equitable urban forest by mapping the issue in their cities. Tree equity maps are powerful tools used to visualize and analyze the distribution of tree canopy cover in relation to race and socioeconomic factors across different neighbourhoods, often revealing disparities in access to the urban forest. Learn from the Calgary Climate Hub and City of Toronto about how innovative mapping tools are being used to identify disparities in tree canopy cover and drive positive change.
Presentation slides (Calgary Climate Hub)
Presentation slides (City of Toronto)
Date: August 28, 2024
Speaker #1: Christine Earnshaw, Tree Canada
Speaker #2: Sharmeena Lalloo & Erin Whittingham, Nature Canada
Studies show that trees are not spread out evenly throughout municipalities. Instead, they are often found more in high income or mostly white neighbourhoods. Considering the numerous health, economic, social, and environmental benefits of our urban canopy, this poses considerable risks to people who are often already marginalized. Tree equity hopes to address this issue. Learn from Tree Canada and Nature Canada about the concept of tree equity, what it is, recent research of Canadian cities, and recommendations for what to do about it.
Presentation slides (Tree Canada)
Presentation slides (Nature Canada)
Christine Earnshaw is a Program Manager at Tree Canada who has over twenty years of experience working with community, national and international organizations in the fields of education and the environment. Christine manages Tree Canada’s involvement in the Growing Canada’s Community Canopies (GCCC) program, a 7-year federally funded initiative led by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to support the equitable growth, protection and enhancement of urban forests in communities across the country.
With a passion for equitable and sustainable communities, Sharmeena Lalloo has worked with the Organic Council of Ontario and Nature Canada on projects promoting the inclusion of minority groups in environmental policy. At the Organic Council, she gained a deeper understanding of fair labor standards in the organic industry. Her passion for qualitative research and commitment to inclusivity recently led her to UX research and design, where she creates user-centered design solutions for a positive human impact.
Erin Whittingham is a Nature Network Organizer at Nature Canada with a focus on reforestation. She works with community groups and organizations across the country to advocate for tree equity in their cities and towns. She co-authored the report Bringing the Canopy to All, and previously supported community groups across the country in bringing Little Forests and the federal Government of Canada’s 2 Billion Trees program to their communities.
Saadiq Mohiuddin is a Professional Engineer and Data Scientist from Calgary, passionate about making cities accessible, vibrant and exciting places to live. He previously worked for a municipality on transportation infrastructure and now works with satellite and geospatial data. He's interested in data visualization, machine learning, and using data to better understand the natural and built environment in cities.
Connie Pinto joined the City of Toronto’s Urban Forestry policy and planning unit nine years ago. As Supervisor of the Policy and Standards team, she is responsible for supporting urban forestry operations in the delivery of programs and services to expand and sustain Toronto’s tree canopy. The team is responsible for the development of key policies and procedures, strategic planning initiatives, and internal and external communications.
Patricia Stirbys is a member of Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan and specializes in Indigenous Relations across multiple sectors. Born and raised in Ontario, she holds a Master of Laws degree from the University of Ottawa and has worked with Indigenous communities, industry, and government on a broad range of issues. Her goal is to foster positive relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities that can lead to lasting gains for Canada.
Peter Croal was an exploration geologist for the federal government and later with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), contributing to programs that allowed the development community to better work with Indigenous peoples to create more effective impact assessments and poverty reduction programs around the world.
During Becca Robinson’s, Director of Climate Adaptation Programs, tenure with Reep Green Solutions, Becca has helped hundreds of property owners create landscapes that are more resilient to climate change. She has led the design and construction of green infrastructure projects on residential and civic properties throughout Waterloo Region. Becca received her Master's in Landscape Architecture from University of Michigan.
Aaron Boonstra, Manager of Tree and Winter Maintenance Programs at Reep Green, obtained a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of Waterloo, where his love of nature started. He became an ISA Certified Arborist and now works with Reep to facilitate their Backyard Tree Planting program. He also performs work related to the conservation of mature trees, water protection and conservation, and environmental education and outreach.
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