Park People’s Executive Director, Erika Nikolai, has been honoured with the Distinguished Individual Award from World Urban Parks—an international recognition that celebrates her leadership and the growing national movement Park People has helped build here in Canada.
Why are events in parks important? How do grants fit into Park People’s larger goals for creating change in city parks?
The emerging stream of the Park People Nature Connect Fund provides up to $5,000 to grassroots and registered organizations across Canada that connect people with nature, foster ecological stewardship, and restore urban parks and green spaces.
The scaling stream of the Park People Nature Connect Fund offers up to $20,000 to registered organizations across Canada that connect people with nature while fostering ecological stewardship and restoring urban parks.
Learn more about green social prescribing, an evolving practice that encourages individuals to reestablish connections with nature and one another to enhance their mental, physical, and social wellbeing.
A reflection on the BEING BLACK IN PUBLIC Survey Report, exploring how Black communities experience parks and public spaces, and what fosters joy and belonging.
How do we build a healthier, greener, more joyful Toronto? We start at the park. Discover how communities across the city have transformed their green spaces over the past fifteen years. Then roll up your sleeves and help shape what comes next.
By donating to Park People, you’ll support vibrant parks for everyone.
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Executive Director, Wildlands League
Janet Sumner is a seasoned environmentalist with over 30 years of experience. Since 2003, she has served as the Executive Director of Wildlands League, a prominent Canadian conservation organization. In 2017, she co-chaired the National Advisory Panel (NAP), tasked with recommending how to protect 17% of Canada’s terrestrial lands and inland waters by 2020. Her expertise led to her appointment as the Special Representative on Nature for Canada in 2019. Under Janet’s leadership, Wildlands League aims to safeguard 50% of Canada’s precious natural landscapes, including the western hemisphere’s bird nursery and the world’s richest carbon reserve. Her work has tangible results, many that redefine space at the scale of Google Maps.
Janet is not only an environmental advocate but also a skilled negotiator, known for resolving complex environmental challenges through understanding and respectful relationships. Her personal experiences include close encounters with polar bears, caribou herds, and aerial explorations of Canada’s Boreal Forests.
Janet’s leadership has driven significant legislative reforms in Ontario and at the federal level, including the Provincial Protected Areas and Conservation Reserves Act (2007), Mining Act Reform (2009) in Ontario, and federal amendments to the Rouge National Urban Park Act (2017). A sought-after speaker, she has presented at various forums, such as the Federal Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development, many Universities, and the United Nations Forum on Forestry in Rome, Italy.
Janet Sumner’s unwavering commitment to wilderness protection and ecosystem certainty has made her a leading figure in Canada’s environmental conservation efforts.