It all began in 1991, over 30 years ago, when our founder Geoff Cape and a few friends sat around a kitchen table and asked themselves, “What if we brought nature back into the heart of our cities?” With that question, The Evergreen Foundation was established. This small, passionate group of people got together and started planting trees. The aim back then was simple: to make Toronto a greener city.
But an amazing thing happened when those trees took root: people came to see them and take joy in their presence. Over time, patterns began to form, strengthening the communities that came to enjoy the places where we worked. We learned pretty quickly that the work we were doing to transform places was great for people and nature alike.
Three decades on and we’ve grown from a few volunteers to a nationwide non-profit organization, Evergreen, and our impact has grown with it. We’ve evolved from wanting to make just one city a little greener to working with communities across the country to make public places better and ensure that every city — from coast to coast to coast — is bursting with life. Join us!
As we look to the future, we see that our work has never been more urgent. Across Canada, the number of people living in cities continues to rise, and that requires us to use our public spaces to inspire a healthier future for all of us.
What we started over 30 years ago was an organization that has evolved into a powerful instigator and proponent of change. We’re fortunate to work at the centre of a national network of community members, placemakers, and investors who are dedicated to transforming public spaces for the health of people and our planet.
Through the knowledge, expertise, and partnerships that we’ve built since that kitchen table conversation all those years ago, we’ve learned firsthand that transforming public spaces transforms communities, that nature is central to our wellbeing, and that inclusive, green public places reconnect us to what matters most. And that’s why we do what we do. After all these years, we’re more passionate than ever about creating places where the needs of people and nature are balanced, places that show that human activity doesn’t have to mean environmental destruction, and ultimately, connecting people with their community and the world around them.
The future will be defined by the actions we take today. So whether you’re looking to volunteer, donate, or partner with us, we’d love for you to be part of this essential work.
