Evergreen

Evergreen A national not-for-profit transforming public places for the health of people and our planet HQ: Evergreen Brick Works
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Do you wish you could meander through more parks and green spaces in your neighbourhood? Evergreen spoke with Farida Zam...
10/01/2026

Do you wish you could meander through more parks and green spaces in your neighbourhood?

Evergreen spoke with Farida Zaman (), Toronto-based author–illustrator, who shares that having great public spaces is essential to her creative process in observing nature and her surroundings—the language of colour in all seasons and the play of light at different times of the day.

According to Farida, being in nature can also help with slowing down and taking up art as a mindfulness practice. When we allow ourselves to not rush the process, we are less judgmental and kinder to ourselves, which is an important mindset to hold as an artist so it’s important to have places in the city where we can go, relax and enjoy nature at all times.

Read more about how Farida's lived experiences around the world have shaped her art and illustration style: https://www.evergreen.ca/stories/why-nature-is-important-for-our-creative-minds/

We had a blast at , where our Senior Designer Heidi Campbell co-led a tour of three transformed Toronto District School...
09/25/2026

We had a blast at , where our Senior Designer Heidi Campbell co-led a tour of three transformed Toronto District School Board schoolyards—showcasing how Evergreen’s Climate Ready Schools framework can turn schoolgrounds into greener, more resilient and joyful places for people and nature.
 
Using the framework, each schoolground demonstrates how thoughtful design can:
 
🦋 Enhance biodiversity and climate resilience
🌱 Support children’s development and outdoor learning
💚 Create spaces for connection and community
 
Thank you to ICLEI Canada for creating space to share Evergreen’s work—and to everyone who joined us on the tour!

🔗 Read the full press release at link in bio.The extreme weather event that swept through the GTA on September 2 brought...
09/08/2026

🔗 Read the full press release at link in bio.

The extreme weather event that swept through the GTA on September 2 brought almost a month’s worth of rain (100mm) in a single day. The storm marks the second so-called “100-year” flood to affect Toronto in just two years, underscoring the need to rethink how cities define and prepare for extreme weather risk.

Like many places in Toronto, Evergreen Brick Works flooded. But here, the site is designed with flooding in mind, and the aftermath of the storm is proving more manageable than it might have otherwise been. It holds important lessons for public infrastructure across the country.

Back-to-school season is here! For students at a school in East Gwillimbury, Ontario, there’s something new waiting for ...
08/17/2026

Back-to-school season is here! For students at a school in East Gwillimbury, Ontario, there’s something new waiting for them.🌿

In partnership with York Region and York Catholic District School Board, Evergreen is helping bring a new outdoor classroom to life.

The school ground at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Elementary School was typical of many school grounds: a large open area with little shade, few trees or places for outdoor learning. The new outdoor classroom will create a shaded, natural setting where students can read, write, make art, study science, observe nature or simply spend time outdoors.

“The goal is to create a space that becomes part of everyday school life,” says Michael Ormston-Holloway, Evergreen’s design consultant on the project. “It will also become a community asset, especially because school grounds are often used outside school hours.”

This project builds on the approach behind Evergreen’s Climate Ready Schools program, using nature-based solutions to bring shade, biodiversity, outdoor learning and climate resilience to another school ground.

Do you instinctively head outside for a walk when you’re feeling stressed? There’s science behind that.Long before co-fo...
07/21/2026

Do you instinctively head outside for a walk when you’re feeling stressed? There’s science behind that.

Long before co-founding Canada’s national nature prescription program, Melissa Lem experienced those health benefits herself through time spent in the mountains, by the ocean and even at Evergreen Brick Works.

Wanting to get the story out, Evergreen was the very first organization she worked with to turn that knowledge into action.

Fast forward to today, and through Healthy By Nature | PaRx, Learning by Nature, Nature at Work, an initiative of BC Parks Foundation, more than 20,000 regulated health professionals across Canada are prescribing time in nature, with more than two million nature prescriptions issued to date.

Read more about how a personal connection with nature turned into a national nature prescription program. 🔗 link in bio

07/17/2026

Across Canada, a growing number of educators, outdoor leaders and health professionals are advocating for risky play: outdoor activities like climbing and jumping, using tools like knives for whittling or even learning to light fires.

In our latest video, we explore what risky play looks like at Evergreen Brick Works and how it helps kids build confidence, resilience and real-world decision-making skills.

Watch the video on YouTube (link in bio) and subscribe to our channel to see upcoming risky play video guides.

We’re proud to be part of a growing movement helping kids spend more time outdoors, recognize and manage risk and develop skills through .

Children & Nature Network Outdoor Play Canada The Outdoor Learning School & Store Outside Play UBC Lab Caring for Kids Le mont Royal | Les Amis de la montagne International Play Association (IPA) - USA Child and Nature Alliance Canadian Public Health Assoc

🌿 Toronto’s ravine system is one of the city’s defining features.Spanning roughly 45,000 acres, these forests, rivers an...
07/16/2026

🌿 Toronto’s ravine system is one of the city’s defining features.

Spanning roughly 45,000 acres, these forests, rivers and trails provide habitat for plants and animals while offering countless opportunities to connect with nature.

As a gateway to the ravines, Evergreen Brick Works is a natural starting point for exploring this incredible network of green public spaces.

So what awaits you?

Whether you’re visiting Toronto or exploring your own backyard, we rounded up eight things to see and do:

1️⃣ Read the landscape’s geological history 🪨
2️⃣ Spot wildlife 🦊
3️⃣ Explore mountain bike trails 🚲
➡️ Head to the link in our bio for the full list

What do you like to see and do in the ravines?

Evergreen Program Director Mike Driedger has written a fantastic op-ed in the National Observer in light of the closure ...
07/07/2026

Evergreen Program Director Mike Driedger has written a fantastic op-ed in the National Observer in light of the closure of several Toronto outdoor education centres.

Read on to learn how outdoor play and learning benefits children's physical, mental and social functioning, and why Evergreen and its partners are committed to creating more opportunities for nature-based learning across Canada.

Read the article :https://tinyurl.com/mr4a4b42

Evergreen Program Director Mike Driedger has written a fantastic op-ed in the National Observer in light of the closure ...
07/07/2026

Evergreen Program Director Mike Driedger has written a fantastic op-ed in the National Observer in light of the closure of several Toronto outdoor education centres.

Read on to learn how outdoor play and learning benefits children's physical, mental and social functioning, and why Evergreen and its partners are committed to creating more opportunities for nature-based learning across Canada.

Read here: https://www.nationalobserver.com/2026/07/07/opinion/outdoor-play-children-education-importance

Tired of pilot projects that never go anywhere?After the success of Canada’s first Climate Ready School, we’re ready to ...
06/30/2026

Tired of pilot projects that never go anywhere?

After the success of Canada’s first Climate Ready School, we’re ready to scale this model across the country. One of those projects is taking shape at Limestone School of Community Education in Kingston, Ontario.

Evergreen is working with Trophic Design and Limestone District School Board to create a school landscape that supports climate adaptation, biodiversity and Indigenous youth education and training.

From rain gardens and bioswales to learning forests and gathering spaces, the design works with the land rather than against it.

Read the story (link in bio) to learn more about Canada’s next Climate Ready School Ground, supported by RBC and the Peter Gilgan Foundation.

Address

550 Bayview Avenue
Toronto, ON
M4W3X8

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

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+14165961495

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