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Why are events in parks important? How do grants fit into Park People’s larger goals for creating change in city parks?
For years, Geri and Gary James drove an hour outside Toronto to find nature — not realizing one of the…
In 2026, 72 community groups and organizations across the country are receiving TD Park People Grants. They’ll be bringing people together in parks and green spaces through creative, inclusive, and environmentally focused events.
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Location
Toronto, Ontario
Read about the Ravine strategy.
Learn more about InTO the Ravines’ impacts.
Learn more about the InTO The Ravines Champions.
For more information, reach out to: torontonetworks@parkpeople.ca
Toronto is lucky to have one of the largest ravine networks in the world. Covering 17% of the city’s total area, these lush green spaces provide habitat for countless plant, animal, and insect species, but are also fragile ecosystems.
Park People partners with the City of Toronto to create opportunities for Torontonians to come together to explore the ravines, learn about their social and ecological benefits, and support their care and protection.
Each year, we provide 10 microgrants to community groups and small organizations to help them host an event that invites people to connect, celebrate, and champion Toronto’s ravines.
Think guided walks, native plant identification workshops, birdwatching tours, art projects, or any creative way to bring people together in nature!
What recipients receive:
0%
of participants report feeling greater connection to nature and living things
of InTO the Ravines event attendees are more likely to return to the ravines with friends and family
0
ravine events led
May 26, 2026
Applications open – accepted on a rolling basis until July 6. We encourage early applications.
July 6, 2026
Applications close
June – July 15, 2026
Notification to successful applicants
Aug 10 to Nov 1, 2026
Ravine Event period
Nov 1, 2026
Evaluation report due
Sept 26 to Oct 18, 2026
Ravine Days
InTO the Ravines Microgrants are open to groups based in Toronto who are interested in, or already working in, their local ravines. Eligible groups include park friends groups, community and resident associations, neighbourhood groups, BIPOC-led groups, and small not-for-profit organizations.
Applicants are not required to have a trustee or have charitable status.
Smaller or newly formed groups without event planning experience are strongly encouraged to collaborate with an established local organization.
Priority will be given to:
Event requirements:
We also encourage recipients to take part in Ravine Days (September 26 to October 18). Hosting your event during this period can help increase visibility and participation—but it’s optional.
Please create an account and submit your application here.
The application form should take 45 minutes to 1 hour to complete. Here is a sample of the form to help you prepare the application.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until July 6, 2026. We encourage early applications.
Need help with your InTO the Ravines Microgrants application?
Our team is here to support you! You can reach out by emailing Asha Legendre-Simpson at torontonetworks@parkpeople.ca, if you have questions or would like to book a video call for support.
Park People is committed to supporting people with disabilities during the application process. If you encounter any barriers while completing your application form or would like to request any access needs, please contact us.
According to the City of Toronto’s Ravine Strategy, a ravine is “a type of landform created over time by running water. They are larger than gullies and smaller than valleys. They may or may not contain streams.” (p. 6 – 7 of Ravine Strategy).
To determine if your park or publicly accessible space is eligible, please look at Toronto’s Interactive Map and search for your park or ravine. Select the filter for Administrative Boundary -> Ravine and Nature Feature Protection By-Law. Public ravines will be indicated on the map with a green base (vs grey) and the Ravine and Nature Feature Protection By-Law layer (stripes).
Ravines that are on private property and not open to the public are not eligible for the microgrant. If you have questions about your local ravine, please get in touch with us to confirm eligibility. If needed, we can provide suggestions for a location for your event.
An important objective of the InTO the Ravines program is to help more people connect to and engage with their ravines. However, given the ravines’ environmental sensitivity, this goal must be carefully balanced with the need to protect these spaces.
Take a look at these Tips for Ravine Engagement to learn more about balancing engagement with respect and care for nature.
We also invite you to check the following resources:
In-person events:
Examples of simple yet creative events and activities include, but are not limited to:
If you want some more inspiration, check out our webinar recording ‘Animating Toronto’s Ravines with Care and Respect’.
Remember, events should NOT include any form of direct stewardship, such as tree planting or invasive plant removal. These must be led by the Natural Environment and Community Programs unit of the City of Toronto’s Urban Forestry. You can learn more about their volunteer opportunities here: toronto.ca/greentoronto.
Virtual events:
Online events can take many forms, including fully virtual sessions (e.g., on Zoom) or hybrid formats where participants gather online and are encouraged to explore their local ravines independently, sharing reflections through digital platforms or conversation apps.
Here are some examples of online events:
These are real opportunities to put your creative muscles to work, and deepen the connection to ravines from wherever participants are.
For more ideas, check out our webinar recording Making Online Environmental Programming Meaningful.
If you have 25 participants or fewer, you do not need a City permit to host your events. For more than 25 participants, and you would like to gather at a specific location in a park, you will need to get a one-time booking permit. We also recommend you let your city councillor and park supervisor know about your plans to host a ravine event in your community.
Decisions will be made by a team of reviewers composed of Park People staff in consultation with the City of Toronto and will be based on the following criteria:
While meeting any or all of these criteria will not guarantee that your group will be awarded a microgrant, we are looking for these qualities in each application.
If successful, your organization will receive $1,500 for your event. You are free to use these funds as needed to support your activities. Eligible expenses may include communications and marketing (e.g., printing posters and flyers), honoraria for volunteers or facilitators, TTC tokens, personal protective equipment, event equipment, permit costs and insurance (if applicable). Up to 75% of the budget can be allocated to human resources costs.
InTO the Ravines aims to reach people from equity-deserving communities, and/or who have not visited ravines before, to help address barriers such as lack of awareness or feeling uncomfortable in ravine spaces.
We define equity-deserving communities as groups that, because of systemic discrimination, face barriers that limit equal access to resources and opportunities. This may include, but is not limited to, Black, Indigenous and people of colour communities, disabled people, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, newcomers, women and non-binary people, and people with low incomes.
When applying, think about who currently uses ravines—and who does not—compared to the communities you work with or are part of. We also encourage you to learn from community members about the barriers they face and how to overcome them.
Equity, InTO the Ravines
As the program nears its 4-year mark, Park People has recently launched the Ravine Engagement Report, highlighting its tremendous impacts on the communities it serves across the city.
The InTO the Ravines Champions program offers people living near ravines training and support to learn, explore, and celebrate Toronto's one-of-a-kind ravines system.
The Sparking Change program supports equity-deserving community groups to transform their parks into powerful engines of community development.
TD Park People Grants support local leaders to organize environmental education, sustainability or stewardship events that bring people together across Canada.