Two North York organizations will be getting a boost in their efforts to keep their communities' natural resources clean and sustainable.
The Black Creek Conservation Project (BCCP) and FoodCycles are two of 22 organizations awarded money from the Earth Day Community Environment Fund, created this year by Earth Day Canada and Sobeys Ontario. A total of $378,000 has been distributed across Ontario to promote environmental action on a local level."These organizations will benefit the environment and thousands of Ontarians. Hopefully they will inspire and encourage others toward action as well," said Jed Goldberg, president of Earth Day Canada.Inspiring others is something the Black Creek Conservation Project is counting on, as it's entirely comprised of volunteers with the exception of project co-ordinator Gasper Horvath. His organization received $17,500 which will be used to develop what he is calling the Downsview Dells Community Environmental Program. The BCCP has been running similar projects for the 28 years of its existence, but additional funding allows it to focus specifically on the Downsview Dells Park, located near Jane Street and Sheppard Avenue."It's an area that is in need of environmental attention in terms of cleaning and greening," said Horvath. "For the next four or five years it's going to be a focus."The parkland surrounds a stretch of the Black Creek which is affected by a variety of environmental problems including invasive plant species and soil erosion. The BCCP will soon begin raising support in schools and in the community in preparation for an all-out attack on invasive plants next spring and summer."Native species are the homes and the food for native animals and insects in the park," said Horvath. "In a few cases, (foreign plant species) will actually crossbreed with some of our native species and replace our natural plants."After recruiting volunteers and marking targeted sites over the winter and early spring, the groups will be making multiple trips into Downsview Dells Park to destroy invasive species and replace them with plants that fit into the natural food chain.These foreign plants tend to crowd out natural flora, which has also affected the erosion rates surrounding the Black Creek. By planting woody shrubs and plants that will grow deep roots in the riverbanks, the erosion rates should begin to slow.While the BCCP is focusing on taking care of plants outside, FoodCycles is another fund recipient that is taking steps to grow indoors. They are an urban farming project specializing in raising worms, producing high-quality soil and promoting education about how city dwellers can take steps to develop a just and ecological urban food system.FoodCycles will be using its share of the money to provide educational workshops to teach people from diverse communities to compost and create their own food sources including fish, vegetables and honey.For more information on how to get involved with either of these groups, visit FoodCycles at http://foodcycles.org and the BCCP at www.bccp.ca.