“Creating a Greener Earth, One Neighbourhood at a Time.” Learning for a Sustainable Future and Starbucks Canada are partnering to make positive change in neighbourhoods across Canada. Thriving Neighbourhoods will inspire our partners, customers and Canadians to take action within their communities and to participate in an ongoing discussion about how to improve Canada’s environment. Thriving Neighbourhoods is a long-term commitment to improving local environmental and social issues. Learning for a Sustainable Future is pleased to be working with Starbucks to ...Read more
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Apr. 5th, 2012
New on R4R: How to Media Guide
Are you doing or planning to do an action-based project with your school or classroom? Interested in engaging the media in the great work you are doing, but don’t know where to start? Angela Heagle, Certified teacher and MES graduate student has recently written a guide on doing just that! Check out the “How to Media Guide” for great tips on getting the attention of your local media. This will help spread the news about your project, getting more people ...Read more
Feb. 7th, 2012
Give Peas a Chance
All they are saying, is, “Give peas a chance”: Occupy Gardens Toronto Challenges Unsustainable Global Food System This post was written by Katie Berger – MES Candidate, York University “It’s Thyme” they cry, “Lettuce Occupy Gardens for World Peas!” This is the callout from the organizers of the first annual World Peas Expo. The Expo, set for February 11, 2012 is the first major event held by Occupy Gardens Toronto, a growing collective of guerrilla gardeners inspired by the international Occupy ...Read more
Nov. 28th, 2011
Bring Food Home…and to school!
This post written by Katie Berger – MES Student From October 27th to 29th, over four hundred food enthusiasts from around the province, a few from other parts of Canada and at least two super special guests from all the way across the pond- Sustain UK co-ordinator Jeanette Longfield and food systems expert Raj Patel – converged at Trent University in Peterborough for ‘Bring Food Home,’ Sustain Ontario’s annual conference. According to their website, Sustain Ontario is “a province-wide, cross-sectoral ...Read more
Nov. 4th, 2011
EcoLeague – Linking Education to Action
This post written by Angela Heagle – MES student and LSF Project Assistant A few weeks ago I did my first in-school project at North Kipling Junior Middle School in York Region. I, along with my LSF colleagues Randall and Katie, implemented two EcoLeague Recipes with some of the classes at this school. The first two action projects were with Grade Six classes and the last one was with a grade seven class. With the grade sixes, we ...Read more
Nov. 1st, 2011
The Right to Water?
This post written by Katie Berger, MES Student The research I’m doing for my latest assignment in my Environmental Policy course has me both fascinated and deeply disturbed. The professor has designed an activity in which small groups form panels to discuss issues of importance to environmental policy in the style of a mock-parliamentary hearing. I was assigned to the panel debating whether or not Canada should endorse the UN’s declaration of water as a fundamental human right which came into ...Read more
Oct. 26th, 2011
Key Ideas: “Sustainable Minds”
This post written by Angela Heagle-Kielbowska, Environmental Studies Graduate Student I recently read the “Sustainable Minds”[i] by Kate Davies in the Alternatives Journal. In this succinct article, Davies highlights the necessity of creating a learning society where humans learn together about living sustainably on Earth. Given the importance of this subject today, I decided to share her six strategies for learning societies. 1. Creating Learning Communities By learning in small groups individuals share diverse perspectives and ideas on sustainability issues. 2. Learning from Experience Giving ...Read more
Oct. 12th, 2011
So Little Time, So Many Opportunities to Spur Sustainability!
This post written by Katie Berger – Environmental Studies Graduate Student I was starting to feel overwhelmed by the many opportunities to advance sustainability on campus and beyond even before my graduate work began in September. From the Graduate Students’ Association’s campaign to ban bottled water on campus to the Maloca Community Garden crew to the Sustainable Purchasing Coalition, York is rife with people and organizations working together toward a more socially, economically and ecologically sustainable community. During our late summer ...Read more
Sep. 16th, 2011
Youthful Foodies Unite!
This post written by Katie Berger – Environmental Studies Graduate Student The Toronto Youth Food Policy Council (TYFPC) held its first community meeting of the season this past Monday, September 12th. From 6-8pm I and almost fifty other young people met to discuss issues close to our hearts…and our tummies. So you may be wondering… What is the TYFPC? The TYFPC is an organization founded in 2009 by Tracy Phillippi, a graduate of York University’s Master of Environmental Studies program. It represents ...Read more
Sep. 12th, 2011
Work with Summer (and your Students)!
This post was written by By Teri Burgess – Teacher and LSF Consultant Summer is still in all its glory (until the equinox lady sings…). In September your students’ minds may be wandering outdoors. Step Outside with them. Step Outside is an online almanac that helps you and your students to identify what is happening in the natural world…right now! It can be found at www.r4r.ca/step-outside. The mid-February instalment focused on animal tracks. I enjoyed the tips about distinguishing domestic dogs’ tracks ...Read more