Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
clusive to racialized people in their communities. Opening doors to a broader and
more diverse urban ecological restoration community can create linkages with local
nature and encourage a greater sense of community that may lead to other local
community development projects. Inclusive ecological restoration will challenge the
myths that racialized people are not interested in ecological restoration, and provide
opportunities for restorationists and the community to access a greater local knowl-
edge base of diverse values and ideas about nature. Providing opportunity for the in-
clusion of more diverse values surrounding the connection between nature and cul-
ture can, and will, create conflicts and increased work in planning and developing
urban restoration projects. However, the benefits to the project and the community
should not be ignored and should instead inspire organizations to continue to strive
for greater inclusiveness.
Organizations in the city of Toronto are taking the first steps toward a more inclu-
sive ecological restoration field. Combining ecological restoration with other urban
greening projects, such as community gardens, linking ecological restoration with
community development activities and partnering with local community organiza-
tions have encouraged increased community participation, specifically from racial-
ized people. However, these strategies only begin to address the systemic issues that
prevent racialized people from being included in the field of ecological restoration.
Prioritizing restoration projects in low-income neighborhoods, providing learning and
skill-building opportunities for restoration volunteers, incorporating alternative meth-
ods of knowledge sharing and communication, and restructuring organizations to in-
clude culturally diverse people in leadership roles are all necessary. It is important
that restoration practitioners acknowledge the need for change, that these changes
will require continual action and steadfast resolve, and that small, first steps, such as
those being implemented by Toronto restorationists, are vital to long-term success.
Notes
1. I use the term
racialized
in this paper to identify people and populations who are sub-
jected to negative and unequal social behaviors because of the societal categorizations based
on perceived differences, such as skin color and cultural heritage (Lopez and Thomas 2006).
Racialized, I believe, is a more accurate term in this context than ethnic or culturally diverse,
and is commonly used in antiracism literature.
2. Beth Cragg (formerly with the City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation), interview
by Allegra Newman, May 2007, Toronto, ON.
3. Rebekka Hutton (Evergreen), interview by Allegra Newman, April 2008, Toronto, ON.
4. Shannon Thompson (Greenest City), interview by Allegra Newman, May 2007, To-
ronto, ON.
5. Kim Stratham (City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation), interview by Allegra
Newman, May 2007, Toronto, ON.
6. Lorraine Johnson, interview by Allegra Newman, May 2007, Toronto, ON.
7. Kelly Krauter (Evergreen), interview by Allegra Newman, May 2007, Toronto, ON.
8. Joanne Jeffery (Toronto Regional Conservation Authority), interview by Allegra New-
man. April 2007, Toronto, ON.
