Youth and Community Greening the Rouge Watershed
Friends of the Rouge Watershed
friendsoftherouge.ca

$20,000 (over 5 months)
Grant Stream: Prosperous Greenbelt
Grant Approved: June 24, 2019

Friends of the Rouge Watershed is engaging youth and other community volunteers in restoration and stewardship initiatives within the Greenbelt-protected Rouge watershed. With support from the Greenbelt Foundation, Friends of the Rouge will engage 2,000 volunteers in the planting and maintaining of 6,000 native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers; in addition to naturalizing 20,000 square metres of accessible public lands. The planting and educational activities will deepen participants’ understanding of watershed health, the Greenbelt more broadly, and the interconnectedness of these natural systems. Local leaders, including elected officials from all levels of government will be engaged in the planting events. The Friends of the Rouge Watershed will host roughly 50 guided hikes and in-class presentations to high school students that highlight the ecological and social importance of urban river valleys. Friends of the Rouge will also train 12 local high school students through their 'Grey Tree Frog Apprentice Program' to become environmental leaders, educators, and stewards within their school communities.