Michael DiRisio
The University of Toronto Mississauga’s Evolutionary Ecology Lab (EvoEco Lab) is directed by Professor Marc Johnson of the Department of Biology. Johnson is the Canadian Research Chair for Urban Environmental Science, and Director of the Centre for Urban Environments, whose vision it is to discover how to make cities healthier for all life. The Lab’s work draws on diverse techniques from genetics, evolution, ecology, and chemistry to address broad research questions such as the consequences of asexual plant reproduction, and the effects of evolution on soil ecosystems. The Lab is currently spearheading the GLUE (Global Urban Evolution) Project, which invites research participants to gather samples of the common herbaceous perennial, White Clover, from urban and semi-urban environments. Through its global scope, this project is centered on two questions: Does urbanization cause convergent evolution around the globe? And what are the features of cities and climates that determine whether or not plant populations adapt to urban environments? GLUE Project participants collect local data and upload their findings to contribute toward a large-scale collaborative paper on the topic. Underpinning all of EvoEco Lab’s work is the desire to understand the interplay between the evolution and ecology of species interactions, especially plant-animal interactions—including how human activity shapes these relationships.
The Healthy City Stewardship Centre (HCSC) is a volunteer-led agency established by the Trillium Health Partners hospital network in 2004. The HCSC works in healthcare centres and Mississauga communities to promote “Quality of Place” as their foundational philosophy. Quality of Place advocates for safety and inclusivity, and supports people in mind, body, and spirit. The HCSC works to encourage optimal health, community safety, equal access to information and health services, sustainable local environments, and community confidence in healthcare. In support of its goals for community health, the Centre has worked to develop or improve public transit, walking trails, bike paths, and sidewalks. The HCSC’s expanded vision includes the promotion of neighbourliness among residents, affordable post-secondary education, and youth employment opportunities as key indicators of the holistic emotional, mental, and physical health of individuals and the community at large.
Next Hydrogen is a Mississauga-area manufacturer of water electrolysers, which provide large-scale clean hydrogen for energy storage. Hydrogen gas acts as an energy storage solution to compensate for the intermittence of green energy technologies. For example, wind power generated during off-peak hours necessitates a storage solution, to ensure power generation is not squandered. Water electrolysis technology is currently the most flexible and tenable solution to store renewable energy on a large, long-term scale. Using excess renewable electricity, electrolysers split water into hydrogen and oxygen in their respective gaseous states. Hydrogen gas can then be used as a clean fuel for vehicles such as forklifts, trucks, and cars, for industrial processes, or even for electricity generation when demand increases during on-peak hours. Next Hydrogen’s water electrolysers respond rapidly and automatically to sudden changes in power, and have the operational flexibility to make more hydrogen faster when electricity is least expensive. Through their uniquely designed and patented on-site hydrogen generators, Next Hydrogen aims to green industrial processes, transportation systems, and energy systems.
The Social Planning Council of Peel (SPCP) is a non-profit organization that promotes social justice through the facilitation and encouragement of citizen participation. Emerging from the Peel Rotary club in 1965, the SPCP addresses social issues through community-based collaborative action, operating on principles of equal access and participation in government decision-making processes. The SPCP’s education program analyzes data on Peel’s demographics, social issues, and existing social services, considering best practices in addressing inequality, and developing new social change models. The SPCP also offers financial support and organization services for community groups and emerging non-profits; their recent programs have prioritized capacity-building and fiscal sponsorship for these groups. Working with community groups, committees, and task forces, the SPCP bolsters initiatives with a research-driven approach and decades of experience in the non-profit sector.
South Peel Naturalists’ Club (SPNC) was founded by fifteen enthusiastic naturalists in 1952, and has since expanded to over 150 active members from Mississauga, Oakville, and surrounding communities. The Club produces a serial newsletter, and hosts weekly activities, monthly meetings, and over twenty field trips annually—encouraging members to enjoy natural areas and expand their environmental knowledge through shared experiences. Special interest groups enable members to learn about specific topics (such as birding or botany) and participate in conservation initiatives. Through the invitation of guest speakers such as local conservationists, animal rescue agencies, and biologists, club members are invited to contribute their observations and knowledge toward ecological studies and projects. SPNC’s focus on community-building through social outings and meetings has proven to generate meaningful and sustained citizen engagement on local issues. Their local approach, however, is a starting point; they note that “stopping the global extinction crisis needs to start at home.”
Gitigaan Mashkiki, The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)’s Medicine Wheel Garden, is located in the Heart Lake Conservation Park in Brampton. It was first envisioned in 2010 by Anishinaabe Elders as a space to practice the principles of the Sacred Medicine Wheel at an outdoor communal site. The garden honours Earth’s seasonal cycles and their accompanying ceremonies, and it expresses artistic traditions that acknowledge the interrelation of all beings. As the garden changes seasonally, its health is charted and maintained accordingly, taking special care to use the previous season’s growth as a fertilizer for the next. Native wildflower plots, pollinator-friendly nesting structures, and pollinator plants help to restore the broader ecological health of the Conservation Park. Maintained by TRCA staff, volunteers, members of The Indigenous Network (formerly Peel Aboriginal Network), and Four Colours Drumming Circle (FCDC), the Medicine Wheel Garden hosts a variety of stewardship events throughout the year. Through the leadership of The Indigenous Network and FCDC, Gitigaan Mashkiki provides a space for Anishinaabe teachings and ceremonies to be shared and practiced in public, asserting the resilience and relevance of these practices today.