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fter a year of staying at home, time spent outdoors is more important than ever.
According to a recent poll conducted for the Nature Conservancy of Canada, 85 percent of respondents stated that access to nature has been important to maintaining their mental health and 94 percent credit time spent in nature with relieving stress and anxiety during the ongoing pandemic. These staggering numbers highlight the vital role that nature plays in our dayto-day lives and the value of supporting sustainable environmental projects. With close to five million people within its jurisdiction, the majority living within two kilometres of its properties, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) is surprisingly unknown throughout the Greater Toronto Area. Although it plays a critical role in protecting and restoring the environment; and creating climateresilient communities, TRCA’s successes
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are seldom acknowledged. In the past year alone, TRCA initiated 263 ecosystem projects, planted over 300,000 trees and shrubs, addressed 5,000+ erosion sites, welcomed 1.2+ million visitors to its facilities and trails, and restored 160 ha of green space, which is comparable in size to Toronto’s High Park, all in the face of the ongoing pandemic. The impact of this pandemic is not fully understood yet, but one thing has become crystal clear; accessible green space is essential for people’s mental and physical well-being. This is the work Toronto and Region Conservation Foundation engages in and the mission they fight for. With conservation now at the forefront of a global conversation, we all have an opportunity to make sure these spaces are protected. The Foundation focuses on Land, Water, Community, and Engagement initiatives, often working with TRCA to engage and inspire communities to achieve shared impacts. Recently, this “Charitable Registration #119039493RR0001
has included innovative projects such as The Meadoway, which is transforming an underutilized hydro corridor between the Don River ravine and Rouge National Urban Park into a vibrant 16 km stretch of urban greenspace, and native meadow habitat protection and enhancement opportunities at Tommy Thompson Park. This human-made peninsula has become one of the premier destinations for nature watching. These projects and countless others are successful, in part, because of the support of readers like you, who understand the importance of supporting conservation efforts in your community. Please visit: foundation.trca.ca to learn more about how your impact enhances TRCA’s work, or text STEP to 20222 to donate $20 to the Foundation and receive more information directly to your phone.
© TORONTO AND REGION CONSERVATION AUTHORITY
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