A project that protects the incredible species that call your community home.

What comes to mind when you think of Biodiversity? Is it the plants and animals in your backyard, from the ones you can see to the ones that you can’t? Biodiversity is a concept that connects us all—the plants and animals around the world depend on each other and a healthy habitat for survival. This includes us! Without the insects, plants, animals, bacteria, fungi, and everything in between, we would be unable to survive. With the your Roots & Shoots program, you can take action as a citizen scientist and directly or indirectly protect biodiversity in your community.

Examples of past projects applicable to this theme:

  • Pollinator Gardens that support local biodiversity
  • Habitat enrichment activities (beehives, bird houses, bat houses)
  • Youth-organized community event that includes Elder teachings on local Indigenous plants/animals

A headline for the stats

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Resources

Our Resource section includes things like our Climate Change Curriculum Guide and our Biodiversity Guide. These can be helpful tools for any project!

Biodiversity Loss (Animals) Projects

Biodiversity Loss (Animals), Climate Change (Environment), Environmental Inequity (People)

Communities of the Future: Growing Sustainable Food Together

Working with the two grade six classes, we will be participating in the Brilliant Labs The Community of the Future Innovation Challenge! This will inspire our students to explore their empathy and ingenuity to realize how our environment can impact a community’s wellness, economy and longevity.

Biodiversity Loss (Animals), Environmental Inequity (People)

Connecting to our Roots

Providing youth with the opportunity to explore nature and learn about traditional pants and medicines. Allowing them to experience firsthand the wonderful and diverse world found outside the city. While strengthening their understanding of biodiversity loss and fostering a drive to support change.

Biodiversity Loss (Animals), Climate Change (Environment)

Cultivating Connection & Empathy Through Wildlife

Our grade 4/5 class has expressed interest in supporting wildlife and animals. They will visit the Wildlife Haven Rehab Centre and help support a local animal animal shelter, developing empathy and strengthening their connections with nature.

Biodiversity Loss (Animals), Climate Change (Environment), Environmental Inequity (People)

Eat Clean Toronto!

Eat Clean Toronto is a project that aims to reduce food-related harm to the environment by educating and empowering youth to incorporate sustainability in their eating habits. Our mission is to reduce food wastage, reduce emissions, and protect wildlife through education.

Biodiversity Loss (Animals), Climate Change (Environment), Environmental Inequity (People)

Ecosystem Restoration

Students have a strong desire to restore ecosystems in and around our school. We are proud to have started a Native Plant and Pollinator Garden that serves as a hub for these activities. Students will continue to grow this garden space, plant more native species and learn plant knowledge from elders

Biodiversity Loss (Animals), Climate Change (Environment), Environmental Inequity (People)

Empowering marginalised youth as environmental stewards

Toronto has a large population of marginalized youth who are new immigrants, people of colour & are economically vulnerable. Through workshops & a field action campaign this project will engage, educate & empower these youth to become environmental stewards within their local communities.

Biodiversity Loss (Animals), Climate Change (Environment)

Environmental Sustainability of Beauchemin Park

The area around some of the trees in our park are eroding and becoming compacted. We want to let these areas rest for a full year in order to observe the land resting and regenerating. We want to use the knowledge we gain to examine other well-used areas of the park, and help restore those […]

Biodiversity Loss (Animals), Climate Change (Environment), Environmental Inequity (People)

Establishing a Land-Based Indigenous Ecology teaching and learning project in the Orchard Garden

The Orchard Garden Land-Based Indigenous Ecology Lab will create a culturally-appropriate place for Indigenous knowledge keepers to teach UBC students via hands-on experience of traditional land stewardship, building food systems sustainability and resilience through nature-based climate solutions.

Tasting fall kale at Metanoia Farmers Workers Cooperative
Biodiversity Loss (Animals), Environmental Inequity (People)

Food Security for All our Relations

This project is building system-level awareness of food security, which takes into account the needs and gifts of the land, humans, and all our more-than-human relations. Past and present wisdom and food practices can teach us how to cultivate diverse food ecosystems for the present and the future.