Dear Educators:

If you are looking for engaging presentations or activities to complement your lessons on the environment or to contribute to your ECO School program, Oakvillegreen Conservation Association can help. Oakvillegreen has created a number of presentations from Beneficial Bugs to Restoring Nature, from Zero Waste to Transportation and the Future of Cars.  As well, we can organize tree/shrub plantings on school grounds and in community parks, engage students with tree seed collections and arrange Urban Forest and community garden tours.

Established in 2000, Oakvillegreen is a non-profit, non-partisan environmental organization advocating for policies and initiatives to make our community healthy and sustainable.  In 2003, Oakvillegreen received the Conservation Award of Excellence from Conservation Halton “in recognition of its outstanding contribution in the Halton Watershed.”

Former newspaper editor and current Oakvillegreen president Liz Benneian has delivered speeches, Powerpoint presentations and film screenings, followed by discussions, to hundreds of students in schools throughout Halton Region and to many community groups.
Her work in the environmental field has been well-recognized. In 2007, Liz received the individual Oakville Community Spirit Award that “recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding volunteer contribution towards improving the well-being of Oakville residents. That same year, Liz was also honoured by The Rotary Club of Oakville Trafalgar with a Paul Harris Fellowship Award that recognizes individuals for “improving the quality of community life by their untiring efforts and selflessness.” In 2009, she was the recipient of Earth Day Canada’s National Hometown Hero Award and in 2010 she was honored with an Ontario Heritage Trust Award for her contribution to preserving Ontario’s Natural Heritage.

Below are some of the presentations that are available. With advance notice, others can be arranged. Advance notice is also needed for outdoor learning experiences like tree plantings or urban forest tours.

Oakvillegreen is a self-funded, volunteer-run organization and honorariums for these presentations are greatly appreciated.

List of Presentations:

Beneficial Bugs
In nature, everything has a role to play, including bugs. This presentation explores the good things bugs and other small critters like spiders and earthworms do to keep nature in balance and pollinate plants.

Increasing Our Urban Forest
This presentation looks at the challenge of achieving a healthy level of tree canopy cover in an urban environment.  The Powerpoint presentation, full of local examples that will be recognized by your students, also examines the benefits of trees and provides concrete examples of what we can do to improve tree health and expand the urban forest in our community. A minimum of 30 minutes is required for this presentation. An urban forest tour or tree planting can also be incorporated into this program.

The Power of One
The talk and accompanying Powerpoint explores how people can make an important difference in the world through Liz’s personal story that traces her career in journalism and her interest in environmental issues that has culminated in her role as president of Oakvillegreen Conservation Association and founder of the Ontario Zero Waste Coalition and Ground Breakers. A minimum of 30 minutes is required for this presentation; 45 minutes to an hour is preferable to allow for discussion.

Zero Waste – A Goal for Our Future
Around the world communities are struggling to find ways to deal with the waste that their societies are generating. Oceans awash in plastic debris, leaching toxic landfill sites, polluting incinerators – is there a better way to tackle trash? This Powerpoint and discussion explores Zero Waste, a philosophy that views waste as bad design. Zero Waste focuses on reducing consumption, maximizing recycling and creating products that last. Instead of starting with the question “what do we do with all this trash?” Zero Waste asks “Why are we generating so much of it?” A minimum of 30 minutes is required for this presentation. It can be combined with a showing of the thought-provoking short film The Story of Stuff (20 minutes).

Growing Community - Exploring the benefits of Oakville’s community garden
This Powerpoint explores the benefits of supporting local food production (a very current topic!) through the example of community gardens citing examples from around North America and from Oakville’s own community garden that began in 2007. During the growing season, it may be possible to arrange a tour of Oakville’s community garden with Dr. Susan Curran in conjunction with this presentation. A minimum of 30 minutes is required for this presentation.

Restoring Nature
How the community can undo some of the environmental damage that has been done through tree planting and renaturalization programs is the focus of this presentation which looks at Oakville as it was, as it is and as it could be. About 45 minutes is needed.

Transportation and the Future of Cars
This presentation looks at the challenges of combating Global Warming and Peak Oil (the coming energy crisis) through the lens of transportation. The presentation also considers social justice issues in finding solutions to these global crises. The presentation starts with a 20-minute Powerpoint that outlines the problem and then breaks into small group sessions where participants are challenged to discuss alternative transportation and urban design options
that will lower greenhouse gas emissions and lower consumption of fossil fuels. Participants then regroup to discuss their ideas and view another 20-minute Powerpoint on solutions that are being employed from around the world. This presentation is suitable students from Grade 7 up. A minimum of 70 minutes is required for this presentation.

Contact Liz at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call her at 905-562-3819.

Film Screenings & Discussion:

The End of Suburbia – Through this extraordinary Canadian-made documentary learn about the coming energy crisis and why we need to conserve energy and develop non-fossil fuel energy sources. Two hours are needed for this presentation.

Escape from Suburbia – In this sequel to End of Suburbia follow three families, including one in Toronto, as they explore options in dealing with the energy crunch. Includes a special focus on how food and fuel are related. Two hours are needed for this presentation.

The Story of Stuff – Learn about over-consumption and its consequences through this 20-minute fun but information-loaded film. 40 minutes needed to allow for discussion.

Urban Forest Walks & Tree Plantings:

Urban forest walks and tree plantings can also be arranged be arranged on their own or in conjunction with in-class presentations.

Contact Liz Benneian for more information or to book a presentation.