RIVERSTONE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
OUR COMMITMENT
We believe that this is a journey, and we adjust our objectives as campuses evolve, as funding is identified, and as science and technology provide new opportunities. We aim to increase our commitment to incorporating environmental stewardship into our decision making and behaviour systems, with the intent of being Carbon Positive by April 22, 2034.
Our most recent initiative has been made possible by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Funding through their Ontario Community Environment Fund has allowed us to plant 7000 native species of trees on our Riverstone Retreat Campus, in Durham Ontario, rehabilitating 10 acres of red pine forest. Youth and community members supported our planting and learned about regenerative forestry practices, native biodiversity, climate change resilience and land stewardship.
NATIVE BIODIVERSITY
TREES
A typical reforestation practice used to be monoculture planting like the red pine forest you see here. We have since learned that this is not a “best practices” forestry method. The planted red pines are now reaching maturity and as a result a large number of trees have been lost in recent years. Without action 8-10 acres of forest would be lost in the next 5-10 years.
We have underplanted with a mixture of cedar, maple, spruce, fir, larch and white pine to begin restoring native biodiversity (species that occur naturally in a given geographic area).These species are better adapted to growing here.
ANIMALS AND LIVING ORGANISMS
In addition, our native animals, insects, other plants and really all our living organisms, including bacteria and fungi, rely on a native environment for them to be successful.
For example, in a single species forest or agricultural field (manmade, planted), we have little songbird species diversity. This is because a monoculture planting provides less food and nesting options, so our forests and farms are less “alive” than they could, should and need to be.
REGENERATIVE FORESTRY PRACTICES
The red pines were planted years ago (before ET’s time here) and we are seeing an increased disease and insect risk (pine borers). With a reduction in dependent and supportive species we basically throw nature out of balance.
Underplanting the red pine planation, as well as restoring part of our lawn back to mixed forest which would have been here many years before, will help to restore this balance. The practice of renewing a forest crop by natural or artificial means is referred to as regenerative forestry.
CLIMATE CHANGE RESILIENCE
The reason healthy forests everywhere in the world are so important is because of climate change. Trees actually store carbon from CO2, the greenhouse gas heating up our planet. The more trees we plant, the more we are helping our planet to heal and reduce the effects of climate change.
Climate change resilience means successfully coping and managing the impacts of climate change while preventing those impacts from growing. Examples of this include everything from preparing for sea level rise, improving our power grid, greening up a city to reduce temperatures, reducing our dependence on oil, utilizing more solar energy, managing our water resources better as well as planting trees to capture carbon and help reduce the rate of planet warming.
COMMUNITY LAND STEWARDSHIP
Community Land Stewardship is the act of taking responsibility for the well-being of the environment and doing something to restore or protect that well-being.
Part of ET’s stewardship is planting the best trees to restore our forest, and leaving alone or restoring natural meadow areas for pollinators and other insects to thrive.
One way we can all be Planet or Land Stewards is by embracing the principles of Earth Day (April 22) not just for 1 day a year but by adapting a lifestyle that embraces the principles of Earth Day into our daily lives.
Start with a few simple things, then add more as it becomes a habit. Pick up litter, protect native plants whenever possible, reduce our use of plastics, recycle what we can’t reduce, consider carbon offsets for travel, reduce our energy use, eat a more locally sourced diet. As you do more and more of these things you will become a role model to others. As a butterfly chrysalis morphs into a beautiful butterfly you will morph into an environmental superhero!
