2022 has posed some challenges, but we’ve been able to weather them and come out strong. While an array of challenges prevented us from opening the online TreeMobile store for our normal spring tree planting season, our partners and frequent TreeMobile collaborators such as TRCA and Not Far From the Tree were able to support us and we still planted (with them) dozens of trees and shrubs. A new partner, Mission Green Toronto, was also able to win a grant that funded more than 10 trees and should see 40 more planted in 2023.
At the same time, Food Up Front once again made the huge effort to sort and pack thousands of seeds, sending out garden starter packs to hundreds of new gardeners. Those gardeners are now fully equipped to grow food, not lawns. Scoring another massive win, in 2022 Food Up Front started educational efforts to help Torontonians participate in the seed economy.
Meanwhile, EcoFair Toronto made a hard push, with our biggest organizing team ever, to re-emerge as an in-person event, having spent two years as a virtual EcoFair. We very much appreciate the hard work of the EcoFair team, who ended up drawing over 1,000 people to the EcoFair this past November. It was not just an inspiring event, but an event where a lot got done due to the partnerships between organizations that hadn’t met in person for many, many months.
Our last “news” post on this site was about growth. We have grown, and we continue to grow. That means we have many volunteer positions open, all of which you can learn more about at the links below.
We need more members on our core organizing team for TreeMobile, which is likely to have its biggest year ever this year.
Our Food Up Front project needs organizers and communications specialists.
We’ve started a new community energy advocacy group, and we need team members for the work we’re doing there.
We also need more Steering Committee Members for our core team so we can keep operating and growing our community decarbonization projects.
While we don’t have any volunteer positions attached to this year, we’ll be taking part in the Circlo mutual credit clearing system, which provides a means of trading outside of the conventional economy. If you do want to join our alternative currency project, email us to let us know.
We’re really well-positioned to have a great 2023, and we’d love it if you wanted to help out. Check out the links above to learn more about they ways you can do that.