My Time as the Environmentalist in Residence: A Bittersweet Goodbye
Oh no! It’s over! June 29th marked the last day of my environmental residency term with the Toronto Public Library at the S. Walter Stewart Branch, and it is safe to say that this goodbye has not been an easy one.
The staff at S. Walter Stewart welcomed me with open arms and supported me through all my lectures, workshops and events. I truly felt included and part of a great team. Then there were the program attendees that I was fortunate to connect with, and they reminded me that amongst the hardships that our planet currently faces, there is hope. There is always hope.
Over the 10 weeks of my residency, I delivered 21 programs, and they were attended by over 400 people. During all my programs, what stood out to me most were the thought-provoking questions that were posed to me. They helped me grow as an educator. In fact, there were so many great questions that for my first blog, I focused on just answering a few of them. To me, these questions reflected the honest desire of Torontonians to learn more about the natural environment that surrounds them and how to protect it, which is key to a healthier environmental future.
What's next for me?
It is time for me to go back to my job at the Toronto Botanical Garden (TBG) on a full-time basis again, which is the only sweet part to this otherwise sad goodbye. As the Children's Education Supervisor of Community Programs, I spend most of my summer months exploring the garden grounds and Wilket Creek with children attending our nature day camps.
I am also looking forward to delivering the Wild, Wild Bees program at the Jane/Dundas Branch on behalf of the TBG on July 11th, from 2-3 pm. So, I will continue to be a part of the Toronto Public Library ecosystem!
In the fall, I am excited to attend Sophi Robertson, the next Environmentalist in Resident's, zero waste focused lectures and workshops. I hope to see you there!
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