Blog

Welcome to the SpruceLab blog, where we share our thoughts on relationships with the land, and decolonizing land-based practices. Follow us on social media to be alerted about new posts.

Earth Tending 2023
Gwen Lane Gwen Lane

Earth Tending 2023

The Earth Tending program started its second year with nine eager Indigenous participants who began their six-week program with a traditional opening fire at the High Park Nature Centre on May 2nd. The program was every Tuesday and Thursday with workshops, talks, hands on training, and all day trips. Each day was packed with introductions to green infrastructure, food sovereignty, conservation areas, plant and tree identification, farming, and biodiversity, to name a few.

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Rain Gardens: Positive Impacts with Planting
Guest User Guest User

Rain Gardens: Positive Impacts with Planting

Each one of us has the power to contribute to the well-being of our fellow humans and non-humans alike. One simple way to positively impact the surrounding world is to plant more native species, and/or to leave space for native species to re-establish themselves.

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Why a Rare Urban Wetland Matters.
Sheila Boudreau Sheila Boudreau

Why a Rare Urban Wetland Matters.

In the highly urbanized areas of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), over 85% of original wetlands have been lost, making any wetland that remains a priority to protect and restore. It would be reasonable for the public to expect that any plans that could negatively impact a wetland would be treated with the utmost care and respect. Sadly, this has not been the case for Small’s Creek ravine and wetland, advocated for by the Friends of Small’s Creek, a local not-for-profit in the east end of Toronto.

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Forests, First Peoples, & Future Cities at the OUFC 2021 Conference
Natalie Sisson Natalie Sisson

Forests, First Peoples, & Future Cities at the OUFC 2021 Conference

This past November, Sheila had the pleasure of speaking at the Ontario Urban Forest Council (OUFC) 2021 Conference with a talk entitled Forests, First Peoples, & Future Cities. In this talk, Sheila discussed her personal relationship with the natural world, experience with participating in various initiatives to better protect the environment and the rights of Indigenous people, as well as strategies for making change happen…

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Paper to Praxis: Informal Growing, Stewardship & Bloordale Beach Community Gardens
Guest User Guest User

Paper to Praxis: Informal Growing, Stewardship & Bloordale Beach Community Gardens

As a recent Master of Planning graduate, I’m really pleased to have been awarded last month with the Minto Planning for Sustainability: Best MRP Award for the best Major Research Paper (MRP) related to sustainability. This paper, researched and written from home in the height of the pandemic, was a bit outside the box when it comes to urban planning research. I worked hard to make it practical, and I'm grateful to have been recognized and supported by Ryerson University’s (renaming in process) School of Urban and Regional Planning faculty for exploring the role that community members play in caring for plants and the earth on public land (without permission)…

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Worldview Bridging: Improving Indigenous Engagement
Guest User Guest User

Worldview Bridging: Improving Indigenous Engagement

As someone who does land-based work, what is your decolonization plan? What skills, knowledge, and relationships do you need to better bridge worldviews with Indigenous Treaty Rights holders and Peoples?

SpruceLab Principal, Sheila Boudreau, recently spoke at OPPI21 Conference on how planners can improve Indigenous engagement in their work, such as in the environmental assessment (EA) process…

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Water is Life
Sheila Boudreau Sheila Boudreau

Water is Life

Where I live in Toronto, we are all Treaty people. I was asked to write an article by the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects for their journal, Landscapes / Paysages, an issue titled: water’s edge / rivages. Recently published, I am sharing my article here, ‘Water is Life’, with the hopes of inspiring others of considering your own relationships with water, the lifeblood of the planet…

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