What inspired you to join the LEAF Board of Directors?
I am a big advocate of LEAF’s mission to protect and improve the urban forest in the Greater Toronto Area. I’ve been connected to LEAF through various channels for three years, including:
- Participating in LEAF’s Tree Tour at the Oshawa Botanical Gardens in 2024;
- Volunteering as both a tree planter and a tree planting leader since 2022;
- Taking part in the Backyard Tree Planting program in Durham Region in 2021;
- Writing a guest blog, Growing Together: Planting Trees for a Better Planet, about the need for climate justice in 2021.
Becoming a board member felt like a natural next step in my relationship with LEAF.
What experience do you bring to this role?
Through volunteer work and personal interest, I have been actively involved in urban forestry and environmental issues. I have volunteered for the Toronto Region Conservation Authority and the Town of Ajax as a tree planter, as well as shoreline cleanups with the Durham Family and Cultural Centre.
As the past Executive Director of Sky’s the Limit Youth Organization, whose mission is to provide refurbished laptops to youth who need them, I worked to divert laptops away from landfills. Currently, I am the Manager of Reconciliation and Inclusion at Seneca Polytechnic, which recently won gold for Colleges and Institutes Canada’s (CICAN) Excellence in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion award. I have been invited to speak at CTV Canada AM, CBC News The National, CBC Radio Metro Morning, and at institutions including York University Centre for Human Rights, Ontario Public Services, and more.
What do you see as some of the most pressing issues facing urban forests?
I am a keen native gardening enthusiast who has transformed my small urban front yard, boulevard and one-third of my backyard into an almost entirely native landscape. This includes more than 70 varieties of native plants, ranging from grasses and perennials to shrubs, vines and trees. I also actively report invasive species in the naturalized areas of my neighbourhood on the EDDMapS App and volunteer to assist in the removal of invasive species.
These are some of the ways in which I practice reconciliation and the land back movement. My goal is to restore as many native ecosystems as I can to address the correlated biodiversity and climate crises. The urban forest is a crucial aspect of this movement, as native plant corridors support declining native insect species that rely on native plants to survive. The urban forest also plays a large role in mitigating flooding and reducing urban heat islands and extreme temperatures. This is a particular concern for me, as extreme weather events tend to affect racialized populations in North America more significantly.
Are you involved in any other community initiatives?
I am passionate about climate justice and have been a volunteer at Black Eco Bloom (BEB) since 2021. BEB’s mission is to support the growth of Black Women, Black Transgender Women and Black Non-binary individuals in the environmental sector. Their goal is to build a more sustainable world that embodies empowerment, sustainability, accessibility, and intersectionality. Through Black women-led climate action, BEB strives to create a more sustainable future for all that is rooted in community and equity.
We are thrilled to have Rema bring her passion, experience, and leadership to the LEAF Board! Her dedication to environmental justice and urban forest conservation will help shape our work and strengthen our impact in the years ahead.
Janey McKay is the Executive Director at LEAF.
Rema Tavares is an Urban Forest Champion - someone who has made a positive impact on our urban forest through their professional, volunteer or personal efforts.
Read more our Urban Forest Champion blog series here.