◊ EVERGREEN: BiENNial REPORT 2010-2011 ◊ EVERGREEN2010-2011 1 ◊ TABLE OF CONTENTS pg3 Message from the CEO and Board Chair pg4-5 accomplishments and Milestones pg6 Making Cities Green across Canada pg 10 Evergreen Brick Works pg 12 Evergreen BC pg 13 Volunteers Dig in pg 14 introducing Evergreen CityWorks pg 14 looking ahead pg 15 Financials pg 18 Donors pg 25 Management Team and Evergreen Board of Directors Cover2 EVERGREEN photo: Toronto BiENN ialand REPORT Region Conservation Authority ◊ Inspiring Action to Green Cities A Message from the CEO and Board Chair We were also thrilled to receive support Over the last 20 years, Evergreen has begun from Ontario’s Ministry of Economic to see a shift in attitudes, an awareness Development and innovation (MEDi) to emerging that to address and solve complex help launch a new suite of programming, environmental problems, we must change which profi les and celebrates green our relationship with the natural world innovations that strengthen our economy in the urban spaces where we live. From and are good for the environment. This individual and community engagement support from MEDi, along with many programs to innovative strategies that others, was pivotal as we launched our explore how we plan and design our cities, it is our sincere pleasure to present “CityWorks” program—a new initiative Evergreen is helping inspire sustainable Evergreen’s 2010-2011 Biennial Report. that addresses complex city-wide issues change toward greener cities. The stories of diverse communities com- related to urban infrastructure, such as Through it all, we continue to learn and ing together to make our cities greener, food, water, energy and transportation to seek ways to improve our programs healthier and more livable highlighted in systems, as well as green space, and processes. We are grateful to all our the following pages would not be possible information and communication systems. without the encouragement and generos- donors, sponsors, volunteers and friends ity of many, many supporters. Thanks to across Canada, new partnerships with for making this work possible. a special you, Evergreen’s reach and impact have school boards, municipalities and thanks also to our dedicated staff and grown tremendously, and today we are an community organizations, are creating Board of Directors for their tireless efforts internationally recognized charity leading long-term strategies for transforming and sound judgment. Together, we are the way to a sustainable future. degraded public spaces into dynamic, creating a legacy we can be proud of for natural oases. We were particularly future generations. The past two years have seen growth excited to launch new initiatives focused and change on all fronts for Evergreen. on skills development and job training Geoff Cape Over 2010-2011, we have signifi cantly designed to help youth gain meaningful Chief Executive Offi cer expanded the scope of our work, creating employment, as well as outreach and new ways to address sustainability issues engagement strategies to diverse and empower Canadians to make positive communities surrounding Evergreen Brick change. in 2010, we offi cially opened Works—ensuring all our programs remain Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto’s Don inclusive and accessible. Valley. Transformed from a collection of in the fall of 2011, we launched a new deteriorating industrial heritage buildings George Dark strategic plan to guide the next stage into a global showcase for environmental Chair, Board of Directors innovation and urban sustainability, of Evergreen’s growth. Our new vision Evergreen Brick Works is a now dynamic statement, Green Cities, Healthy Planet, hub in the growing green city movement. and our new mission statement, inspiring action to green cities, recognize that the environmental, social and economic health of our cities is vital to the sustainability of our planet, and that the power to make positive change lies in our individual and collective behaviours and in our ability to take action. 2010-2011 3 ◊ 2010-2011 Accomplishments: By the Numbers Creating and Sustaining Natural Building Capacity Outdoor Classrooms 150+ stewardship, food gardening, 55,485 students, teachers and school healthy cooking, cycling and green design administrators actively involved in workshops and presentations delivered transforming their school grounds, including 77 teachers trained to teach in Youth Empowerment the outdoor classroom 8,500 youth engaged in urban greening, gardening and educational activities Connecting Children with Nature 3,100 children participated in our new Growing Healthy Food Green City adventure Camp and in school 150 different food varieties planted in visits to Evergreen Brick Works, learning over 11 community gardens about the vital role of nature in the city Inclusive Programming Improving Local Environments 17 different languages were spoken in 50,000+ native trees and shrubs planted Evergreen’s programs, representing over and 209 sites transformed across 10 cultural groups, including First Nations Canada, creating 22 hectares of new and (Cree, Ojibwa, Onkwehonwe), Chinese improved green space (Cantonese and Mandarin), East indian (Hindi and Bengali), Filipino (Tagalog), Volunteers Count Sri lankan (Tamil) and Pakistani (Urdu) 14,000 volunteers contributed over 57,000 hours to help make our cities Dynamic Social Enterprises greener, an in-kind contribution of more 10,768 herbs, vegetables and fruit- than $800,000 bearing plants sold at Evergreen Garden Market and 2,428 native plants in over Providing Resources 17,600 transactions $2,337,060 was distributed to 457 school and community greening projects Strength in Numbers across the country 250,000+ visitors attracted to Evergreen Brick Works in our first year Growing the Local Food Economy 2,000+ visitors each Saturday support the Raising Capital Dollars Evergreen Brick Works farmers’ market, $50 million raised toward our $55 million with 60+ local farmers, chefs, bakers and campaign target to restore this site into producers, contributing over $3 million an internationally-renowned centre for annually to the local food economy inspiring action for green cities 4 EVERGREEN BiENNial REPORT ◊ Milestones aPRil 2010 SEPTEMBER 2010 OCTOBER 2010 NOVEMBER 2010 DECEMBER 2010 MaRCH 2011 Evergreen receives the Evergreen Brick Works EBW becomes an Evergreen celebrates EBW skating trail opens Ontario’s Ministry of 2010 Green Toronto (EBW) opens as outdoor classroom, the inauguration of in Koerner Gardens with Economic Development Award for Leadership Canada’s first large- with full-day programs Toronto’s largest map, an inaugural skate and and innovation by Green Toronto. scale environmental for Grades 3–5, and a living watershed wall Winter Solstice Festival. supports launch of new community centre. half-day programs for of the rivers that flow programs focused on Grades 6–10. through Toronto and innovation and the into lake Ontario. green economy. aPRil 2011 MaY 2011 MaY 2011 MaY 2011 JUNE 2011 JUNE 2011 Evergreen celebrates Bike Works opens at Urban Orchard Toronto Renewable Evergreen partners Profiles of innovation turning 20 with EBW, training over 400 launched at UBC’s Energy Co-operative with Molson to launch launched online planting and children and youth in Great Northern Way (TREC) and Evergreen 10 stewardship events featuring leading stewardship events safety training and Campus, building host the Kids World of across Canada. environmental across the country, bike mechanics in its community through Energy, a 5-day festival innovators and and a 3-day festival first year. food gardening, engaging over 5,000 organizations in at EBW. harvesting and students in hands- Ontario and around the sharing. on workshops and world. demonstrations. JUNE 2011 SEPTEMBER 2011 SEPTEMBER 2011 SEPTEMBER 2011 NOVEMBER 2011 DECEMBER 2011 EBW is North Jeremy Rifkin provides Green Design exhibit Evergreen presents at Over 75 design and Evergreen Brick Works america’s host keynote address for the unveiled at EBW, Canadian institute of educational professionals capital campaign location for UNEP’s Evergreen leadership showcasing the Forestry Conference on from across Canada take reaches $50 million World Environment Forum, featuring a unique green features Community Engagement part in the all Hands in mark with $1 million Day, and a key hub diverse group of leaders behind the site’s lEED and the Urban Forest. the Dirt Forum to build gift from The Tiffany & for strategizing in the working to create urban Platinum status. skills and networks for Co. Foundation. lead-up to the Rio sustainability. creating greener school +20 Conference. grounds. Photo credits (left to right): Tom Arban, Kelly Cruise, Mike Derblich, Melissa Yu, Cameron Collyer, Colin Jones Henry VanderSpek, Jan R. Schwarz, Evergreen, Henry VanderSpek, Kelly Cruise, Urabn Strategies Inc. Alex Cairncross, Mike Derblich, Yuliya Tsoy, Linda Read, Bill Wilson, Edward Pond 2010-2011 5 ◊ Making Cities Green across Canada Evergreen’s work is rooted in the belief Toyota Evergreen Learning 2010-2011 Highlights that involving people directly in restoring Grounds Program • 55,485 people were directly involved the natural health of their communities On behalf of Canadian school with TElG programs at their school positively affects the attitudes and communities, thank you to Toyota • 51,482 elementary and secondary behaviours that lie at the core of the Canada and its Dealerships for creating students sustainable city. a remarkable 12-year legacy of green