This year again, local leaders gathered their neighbours, built connections, and restored nature in projects big and small. The movement continues to expand, and we're pleased to share just some of these impacts in our 2025 Impact Report.
Ready to rally your crew and make a visible difference in your local park? This guide walks you through everything you need to host a successful community clean-up in Toronto
Creative ways to connect people to nature, community, and care for ravines in Toronto.
Parc Jarry in Montreal, Toronto’s waterfront, CRAB Park in Vancouver… People are coming together to protect the places they love.
What could Toronto’s parks look like in the years ahead? Our 2026 Parks Platform brings together ideas from Torontonians and four priorities for a more resilient, joyful and connected city.
Host free, community-led park activities in Toronto with the No-Fee Community Activations Booking. This hour-long virtual session will walk you through the booking: what's eligible, and how to apply step by step.
Hosted by Park People and World Urban Parks, this global gathering will bring together 450+ park leaders from Canada and around the world to share and explore practical and creative park and public space ideas, and seed new relationships, collaborations, and ways of working.
By donating to Park People, you’ll support vibrant parks for everyone.
She/her/he/him
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.