Published on June 24, 2024
This July, Evergreen Brick Works is all about deepening our connection with nature. Through our outdoor education programs, Farmers Market, and Garden Market, we’re setting the standard for sustainable. green public spaces, and we hope you’ll join us!
Over 400 million tons of plastic gets produced annually. From water bottles to food wrappers and shopping bags, much of this plastic ends up polluting our lakes, oceans, ravines and other natural spaces that plants and animals call home.
Be part of the plastic pollution solution this month! Plastic Free July is a global movement encouraging millions to join in the fight against plastic pollution so we can better share our planet with all living things. Here are some ways you can go plastic-free at the Farmers Market and beyond.
These types of small actions can have a big impact on the planet. Challenge your friends and family to try some of these tips this July, and you’ll be surprised how easy it can be to reduce your plastic footprint.
Our Garden Market has everything you need to sustainably enjoy the outdoors! Here you’ll find sustainably-made gardening tools, apparel, home and body products, books, jewelry and so much more.
The Garden Market is also your go-to spot for all things nature-inspired for kids! Discover a delightful selection of children’s books that spark curiosity about the natural world, comprehensive field guides for budding explorers and engaging outdoor adventure kits that encourage hands-on learning.
Whether you’re nurturing a young naturalist or simply enjoy the beauty of the outdoors, the Evergreen Garden Market has everything you need to inspire and educate the next generation of nature enthusiasts. Come check out some fun toys, books and activities at the Garden Market!
The Garden Market will be hosting a workshop on Planting Your Fall Garden: How to Extend Your Growing Season this July. Now’s the time to get your fall gardens rolling by planting crops like carrots, beets, spinach, lettuce and cabbage.
Come learn from our in-house organic grower, Michelle, about the crops you can plant now and enjoy harvesting from well into the fall season. Participants can use our Friends and Family Discount of 15% on all items featured in the workshop Click here to learn more.
Through our outdoor education programs, thousands of children and youth connect with nature every year, giving them the skills and knowledge they need to be the environmental stewards of the future.
There are countless physical, psychological, social and cognitive benefits to outdoor education in children. Connecting with nature can encourage physical activity, reduce anxiety, help kids develop empathy and boost their observation and critical thinking skills.
Our children’s programs are rooted in routines that support place-based learning and nature connection. These routines have been practiced in many ways and forms by Indigenous communities across Turtle Island and beyond since time immemorial.
There are still spots available for some of our camps this July! See below for a few ways you can help your kids connect with nature this summer.
Drawing from land-based teachings, toddlers and children will have the chance to connect with Toronto’s urban wild, discover seasonal mysteries, and build relationships embracing the wonders of the outdoors. Register now!
Our Adventure Camp campers will explore and learn about an amazing array of wildlife and plants, from the sumac that bends over the paths, to the beavers that build dams, to the red-tailed hawks that glide overhead. Register here for campers ages 6-14.
Our Outdoor Leadership Course is our 4-week camp program designed to guide, mentor and certify youth (ages 14-17) who are interested in building their resume and gaining leadership skills while working with children in informal outdoor settings. Apply today!
Join us for some water play to stay cool in the Children’s Garden this July! Spend your summer family weekends with us to get messy and cultivate that curiosity and love for nature. Drop by the Children’s Garden from 10am – 3pm on these dates:
Whether you’re participating in one of our camps, Forest Bathing Club on July 7 or simply enjoying a day out, we encourage everyone to incorporate nature connection routines into their daily lives. Here are three of our favourite nature connection routines for children and adults alike:
1) Sharing Nature Experiences
Something as simple as sharing what you’ve been experiencing in nature on a regular basis can inspire others to keep observing and being curious. The awareness of the natural world is heightened through actively engaging with what you see, hear, or feel outdoors and sharing that with others in your life.
2) Sit spots
Make time to sit alone quietly in an outdoor space and notice your surroundings. This can be a place to return to over time and observe seasonal changes. Start with a quick, 1–2-minute practice and build your way up from there. This is a great way to connect with place and build an openness to observing all the interactions within the environment itself and your interaction with it.
3) Gratitude
Express gratitude for any aspect of the natural world whenever possible! Begin and end the day with sharing thanks and model gratefulness throughout the day. Incorporating gratitude reinforces the interdependence of everything and everyone and can lead to closer relationships with others and with nature.
There’s no better way to build nature connections and foster a sense of awe of the natural world than getting your hands in the dirt through gardening. Here are some of our volunteer opportunities this summer:
Garden Circle
Garden Circle focuses on traditional gardening tasks like weeding, watering, harvesting fruit and vegetables, etc.
Go Wild Stewardship
Go Wild came out of staff desire to focus on invasive plant control and volunteer zest for the more muddy, physically challenging work that can be involved! This program will focus on stewardship of the Brick Works site, which will involve invasive plant removal, litter pickups, and restoration work.
Compost Club
Compost Club focuses on all things compost at the Brick Works! This program will work on breaking down the green waste produced by Garden Circle, tend to our compost heaps, produce compost tea, and learn about vermiculture.
Come to the weekly scheduled session to learn more about the flexible options for participating in this program!
These opportunities are opened to all Garden Circle volunteers on an ongoing basis. For more information and to sign up to volunteer, click here! Under 15 years old? You can still get involved by volunteering alongside a parent or guardian.
Getting to the Brick Works can be easy! Take our free Shuttle Bus from Broadview Station or hop on the TTC 28 bus from Davisville Station. Feeling adventurous? Pump those tires and hop on your bike and enjoy the gradual descent into the valley on one of the many trail systems that connect to our site. Paid parking is also available, but spaces are limited. Learn more about the free and low-cost ways to get to the Brick Works here.
