Highlights from the Hope and Action Festival
Anishinaabe Elder Mary Lou Smoke
On Saturday, October 25, over a thousand people visited Fanshawe Conservation Area to attend the Hope and Action Festival. The day began with an Indigenous ceremony led by Anishinaabe Elder Mary Lou Smoke. Throughout the day, visitors enjoyed an exciting array of activities, including a live raptor show, giant floor map interpretation, live local music, kids zone games, community partner booths, an emergency flood response vehicles display, e-bike demonstration, and much more.
Many also contributed letters to the Hope and Action Time Capsule, sharing hopes for a greener, brighter future, and the actions being taken today to turn these dreams into a reality.
Thank you to all the partners who took part in this great day:
- Bird Friendly London
- Canadian Raptor Conservancy
- City of London
- Climate Action London
- Fanshawe Pioneer Village
- Forest City Flyfishers
- Local Food Trucks
London Bicycle Caf茅- London Cycle Link
- London Fire Department
- London Middlesex Master Gardeners
- London Music Office
- London Police
- London Public Library
- Middlesex Centre Pollinator Team
- Museum of Ontario Archeology
- ReForest London
- Seniors for Climate Action Now
- South London Neighbourhood Resource Centre
- Thames Talbot Land Trust
- Thames Region Ecological Association
- Western Sustainability
- Western Connecting for Climate Change Course
- Wild Birds Unlimited
This free, family-friendly event was hosted by the UTRCA, Thames Talbot Land Trust, and the City of London.
Hope and Action聽Festival: Student Day
On Friday, October 24, eight Grade 7 and 8 classes from the Thames Valley District School Board and the London District Catholic School Board participated in the Hope and Action Festival School Day. The day featured hands-on learning designed to spark hope and inspire youth to take action for a greener future. Students participated in a series of activities that included exploring the Biinaagami Giant Floor Map, learning from community partners about environmental resiliency and sustainability, enjoying a live raptor show, and measuring water quality through macro-invertebrate benthic testing.
Benthic Macroinvertebrates Sampling