Sept. 24, 2025: Happy National Tree Day! This special day is a day dedicated to celebrating the beauty and benefits of Canada’s trees and forests! Planting even just a single tree offers hope for future generations and the survival of the planet. And, ACER has been helping communities plant trees
On April 30th, 2025, I experienced a little bit of magic. From organized chaos, a baby urban forest—a micro-forest—was born. Right before my eyes. In hours. At Brian W. Fleming Public School in Mississauga. And it wasn’t the first time. In fact, it was the 70th time a Southern Ontario school implemented ACER’s Planting
May 22, 2025: Happy International Day for Biological Diversity! This year’s theme, as set out by the Secretariat for the Convention on Biological Diversity is Harmony with nature and sustainable development. And, did you know that ACER has been a pioneer in urban and riparian forest biodiversity monitoring in Ontario
April 22, 2025: Happy Earth Day from ACER! This year’s international theme is OUR POWER, OUR PLANET, which calls for the tripling of global renewable energy capacity by 2030 and challenges governments and corporations to step up with the bold commitments and decisive actions necessary to meet this goal. It’s
For many of us, it is the first snowfall that marks the true arrival of winter. The delicate and beautiful snowflakes add brightness to the colder, shorter days of the season, and bring on a host of winter activities and sports – think tobogganing, skating, skiing, snowshoeing, or simply taking
By Alice Casselman, ACER Founder and President — October 2024 To me, one of the best parts of fall is the whole new colour palette I see as I walk along roadsides and ditch-lined streets. Fall is a royal display of gold and purple – gold from goldenrod, jewelweed, and
Did you know that Sunday July 28 was World Nature Conservation Day? This special day recognizes the importance of the ecosystems and natural resources that sustain life on our planet. All species on Earth depend on healthy habitats to survive and grow, making it vital we protect and preserve them.
June 20, 2024: Did you know that June 17-23 is Pollinator Week? Pollinator Week was initiated and is managed by Pollinator Partnership (P2), a charity founded to promote the health of pollinators through conservation, education, and research. This special week is dedicated to celebrating the vital role that pollinators play
May 22, 2024: Happy International Day for Biological Diversity! Did you know that ACER has been a pioneer in forest biodiversity monitoring in Ontario ever since the 1993 Convention on Biodiversity that arose from the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro? Over the past
April 22, 2024: Did you know that International Mother Earth Day, established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2009, has roots that go back all the way to the 1970’s? It was during the time that environmental issues started getting global attention culminating in the first ever world conference,
November 2023 – Winter is fast approaching and replenishing the mulch around our trees ahead of winter is good practice, to ensure its continuing benefits. Mulching adds nutrition to the soil, helps aerate it, regulates its temperature, holds in moisture, and suppresses weed growth. And, when added in the autumn,
ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? IN THE BEGINNING … there were green leaves ! What makes a leaf green? Chlorophyll, of course, but there are other colours hidden all year! Chlorophyll is PACKAGED in chloroplasts each cell in each green leaf! See them in this magnified image. The leaves
You can download the newsletter in PDF format here: From Our President – Alice Casselman It has been a challenging yet wonderful year! What we have accomplished, under Covid protocols, is really astonishing! Planting trees in Peel schoolyards and Mississauga parks, mulching and measuring in Bramalea, employing Canada Summer Jobs
This Saturday 10/16 at 10 AM, ACER is hosting a tree planting event at Applewood Heights Park in Mississauga! We’ll provide the materials, and COVID safety protocols will be in effect. RSVP today! This event is made possible by the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative grant and our partner, the City
Written by ACER executive board member Elizabeth MacLean, with a tree planting guide by ACER founding president Alice Casselman. Ontario has its own celebrated oak tree. Known as the Heritage Red Oak, the giant tree stands near the edge of the Humber River, in the yard of a house on
Part four of ACER’s Where Are They Now? series, a celebration of our wonderful former employees, interns, volunteers, and other folks who have made our work possible. Written by ACER executive board member Elizabeth MacLean. Tyler Orsulak’s career path is looking a little straighter now — diverse strands are weaving together
Part three of ACER’s Where Are They Now? series, a celebration of our wonderful former employees, interns, volunteers, and other folks who have made our work possible. Written by ACER executive board member Elizabeth MacLean. Julia Bilas says she always leaned toward the sciences — she grew up helping her mother
ACER announces funding of $80,100 from Ontario Trillium foundation under its Ontario Resilient Community Fund. The fund supports the non-profit sector to recover and rebuild from the impacts arising from COVID-19 so they can effectively meet community needs. “This funding comes at a critical moment for ACER, so that we can
Tree Inventory was carried out, under COVID protocols, by 7 students Sheridan College – Davis Campus Brampton in two field teams, each of 3 members and 1 person working remotely. The field teams measured 406 trees (38 species) for analysis and mapping. The Japanese tree Lilac and Silver Maple had
For immediate release: December 18, 2020 Written by Catherine Soplet Project Crossroads can address trifecta of crises: climate change, racism and COVID-19 On December 10 Peel Regional Council heard encouraging ground truth from Brampton’s Knightsbridge residents, who have been hardest hit by COVID‑19. A two-minute video of volunteers’ testimonials opened the
We’re looking for volunteers to join Team ACER this summer! We have opportunities available for a wide variety of skillsets. Whether you prefer going out in the field or working from home, you can engage in local action that leads to a global impact. View Volunteer Opportunities
Our University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) intern Julia Bilas has written a report on the importance of trees in the GTA. Julia compared benchmark and more recent measurements from the University of Toronto Mississauga campus, five Mississauga schools and two Brampton schools to see if some species were more successful
2019 has been a fantastic year for ACER. We worked with new partners at the Arab Community Centre of Toronto (ACCT), Parkdale Intercultural Association (PIA), and Working Women Community Centre (WWCC) to teach people how to plant and measure trees. We also planted at Rowntree Mills Park with TRCA and
2018 is coming to a close, and the last few days of the year are ideal for reflection. This has been a fantastic year for ACER — new partners, exciting opportunities, and strengthened connections. Take a look at what we’ve been working on in our latest newsletter: ACER’s Fall/Winter 2018 Newsletter
This summer ACER will have 7 interns from Sheridan College; Sneha Gaddipati, Navpreet Kaur, Sandeep Kaur, Asma Khurram, Kartik Makhwana, Mamata Na, and Milan Suther. These interns will continue inventories at two Sheridan College, Davis and Trafalgar campuses. The inventory at the Sheridan College Davis campus was started by previous
This year ACER received 4 grants from the Great Lakes Guardian Community Fund (GLGCF). We are working with Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA), Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA), Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA), and Raisin Region Conservation Authority (RRCA). Each project involves planting a 1000 trees and shrubs with
Riparian Rangers ACER worked on three Riparian Rangers projects in 2016; Riparian Rangers Ausable Bayfield, Riparian Rangers rare, Riparian Rangers Lake Simcoe. Planting trees and shrubs along riparian zones can increase bank stability, slow the flow of water to the watercourse which leads to increased infiltration and less erosion. Decreased
The conditions that favour the spread of wildfires, increased temperatures and frequent droughts, are two of the biggest symptoms of climate change. Consistent with the effects of our changing climate, many studies have shown that area burned by wildfires has been increasing over the last four decades, despite improvements in
The Red Oak of Weston is one of the oldest trees in the city. Its leaves have cast shade on passersby as early as the late 18th century. “Back then, it sat near the Carrying Place Trail,” said the Toronto Star in an article about the tree in May, “an
Learn of biodiversity risks and the opportunities to address them! Help to locate and discuss future projects that help ecosystems adapt to climate impacts. Join us at the St. Johns Outdoor Education Centre. Free entrance but LIMITED SEATING. RSVP by Oct 10th, 2013 at info@climateactionniagara.ca For more information, click here.
Natural Connections Open House [scrollGallery id=33] On August 22, 2012, ACER participated on the first Natural Connections’ Open House organized by FutureWatch and Conservation Halton at Crawford Lake in Milton, Ontario. Over 50 new immigrants and new members of the community attended to a day full of activities, lectures and
Eco Canada has posted a quiz to test how much you know about Earth Day. Take the test and find out.
On Tuesday, March 6, 2012, ACER was invited by the Kiwanis Club of Islington, and gave a presentation to the club members about “Get your hands and head around Climate Change”. The aim of this club is to serve the community of Etobicoke and the children of the world. During
On Friday, February 17, 2012, ACER attended the 6th annual Toronto District School Board “Eureka” conference held at Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute. The aim of the conference is to improve student achievement in science and to motivate students to continue studying science. At the conference, ACER had exhibitions showcasing the
On Friday, February 10, 2012, ACER attended the 63rd annual Ontario Forestry Association Conference held at the Nottawasaga Inn located in Alliston, Ontario. The theme of the 2012 Conference was “Prescription for Nature: Healthy Forests for Healthy People” . Over 250 landowners, students, educators, and resource professionals from across Ontario
A survey conducted by Imagine Canada in 2011 has found that: Canadian Charities continue to experience difficulty carrying out their mission. Some charities consider themselves at risk. There are signs of stress within the charities. Revenues have remained the same, in comparison to previous years. There have not been significant
Written by Steve Henschel, Published on October 14, 2011 by NiagaraThisWeek.com (Original Source) Welland students plant trees to monitor effects of climate change The playground at Princess Elizabeth Public School as some new leafy tenants thanks to a handful of passionate students, the Association for Canadian Educational Resources and Climate
Willow Park to survey its trees this week Published by InsideHalton.com on July 26, 2010 (See original source) Want to know more about how to identify trees and monitor their growth? Willow Park Ecology Centre Stewardship Committee (WPECSC) has partnered with the Ministry of Natural Resources through their Stewardship Rangers
On June 6, 2004 ACER attended the Mill Pond Splach hosted by the City of Richmond Hill. Mayor William F. Campbell was present and other members of the city council. Mendousonpasirf . The day was fun fill with lots to see and do. ACER is proud to have played a
