You don’t always need a lab coat or textbook to learn about science.  

Some of the best science lessons happen unexpectedly, right outdoors in our public spaces. For Earth Month, we teamed up with the Ontario Science Centre, a beloved Toronto institution, to bring fun, hands-on science activities to Evergreen Brick Works.

We asked the team at the Ontario Science Centre about their pop-up programming and how they’re making science more accessible and engaging.

"Bringing science experiences directly into public spaces like Evergreen Brick Works makes science accessible, bringing science learning opportunities to those who may not have had a chance to engage with us before," says Victoria Gee, Researcher-Programmer at the Ontario Science Centre.

Want to hear more from the Ontario Science Centre? Read the story →

What do public spaces mean to the people who use them? In Voices in Public Spaces, we ask community members to share how public spaces impact their lives. It’s all about real voices sharing real reflections.

In this episode, we caught up with volunteers from Don’t Mess with the Don, a charity protecting and enhancing the natural heritage of the Don Valley and Toronto ravines. Bruce and Linda tell us how volunteering connects them to community and how Toronto’s ravines connect them to nature. Watch the video →

A QUICK INTRO TO SLOW NATURE. Last year we wrote about slow tourism, slow fashion and other slow movements. By shifting away from fast-paced consumption, we open up choices that are better for the planet and better for us. I’m only sorry we missed Slow TV, a Norwegian phenomenon popularized in 2009, after the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation aired a seven-hour train journey. 

This year, we decided to coin a new slow concept: slow nature, the practice of engaging with the natural world at a more intentional pace.

It turns out, we’re not the first to use “slow nature.” A bit of digging shows the term popping up with tour operators, green startups and even a very chill Spotify playlist. So, maybe we didn’t invent the wheel, but we’re still going to take it for a spin. 

Author and naturalist Henry David Thoreau once said "I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees." Slowing down in nature can lift us up and deepen our connection to the environment — that feeling is often what sparks the desire to protect it.  

The idea is important for us at Evergreen. Our home at the Brick Works sits nestled in Toronto’s beautiful ravines, a pocket of untamed nature within Canada’s busiest city. It’s the kind of place that shows us what slow nature can look like.  

For us, it means our audio tours, where visitors learn how to enjoy the outdoors while treading lightly; our school visits, where students learn about the interconnectedness of all living things; and our native plant gardens, which slowly push back against invasive species. 

But slow nature can happen anywhere. In your day-to-day life, you could walk without a goal, and let nature catch your attention; sit still and listen, to hear things like trees rustling or birds singing; or learn the names of things, like the trees, flowers, birds and fungi (when you know something’s name, you notice when it’s gone). 

Our definition of slow nature is still taking shape. It’s one of many ideas we’re bringing to life at the Brick Works. Click the yellow box below to see how you can support new ideas transforming spaces across the country. 

🖊️ ETHAN ROTBERG, SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST | EVERGREEN

🎨 BANNER ILLUSTRATION BY FATIMA ALI

About Us     What's On     Donate