Local couple challenge community to match $10,000 donation

Sue Sauvé and Ian Attridge support GreenUP’s Ecology Park to protect local biodiversity

By Tegan Moss, executive director, GreenUP

This spring Sue Sauvé and partner Ian Attridge are donating to support GreenUP’s native plant propagation program. Their $10,000 donation comes with a challenge to the community to match their generosity. Together with Sue and Ian, the goal is to raise a total of $20,000 to support Ecology Park.

Sue has been a long-time supporter of GreenUP, and she and Ian are known to many for their commitment to environmental initiatives across the community. They are making this donation because now, more than ever, there is an urgency to invest in the resilience of the environment.

“Supporting GreenUP’s Ecology Park to grow native trees and plants is a tangible, local action that I can take towards increasing biodiversity and mitigating climate change, and now, to support our urban and rural forest canopies to recover from the ice storm,” says Sue.

A biodiversity crisis is unfolding across the globe. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) reports that populations of all fauna are in decline. Even species that are not endangered are seeing population reductions, with average animal populations at just 68 per cent of what they were in 1970.

The climate crisis is bringing more severe storms, as well as destructive pests like the emerald ash borer. In the face of devastating damage done to the local canopy by the derecho of 2022, coupled by the recent ice storm, one could be reluctant to replant, yet trees are needed now more than ever.

Trees are habitat. They improve air and water, cool with their shade, support complex ecosystems, and are the original effective means of sequestering carbon.

The Peterborough region needs strong, native trees like oak and ironwood; quick-growing trees that can rapidly capture carbon from the air, like hackberry and willow; trees that feed pollinators, such as basswood and black cherry; and rare southern species like sassafras and blue beech.

The saying goes that the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now. In 2024, GreenUP planted over 1,600 trees. With the generous support of the community, GreenUP will plant even more in 2025. Together this action will ensure that the beautiful species of native plants and trees that call this region home can thrive.

Through their donation, Sue and Ian empower GreenUP not just to restore what was lost, but to ensure a healthier, more sustainable future for all living beings in the region.

GreenUP Ecology Park will utilize the funds in the following ways:

• Build air pruning beds and plant cages to grow native species,
• Offer more volunteer opportunities by providing staff capacity and buying additional hand tools and safety equipment for planting and for invasive species removal,
• Replant rare and regionally significant native species to replace trees that were damaged by the ice storm.

Each year, the Ecology Park Native Plant and Tree Nursery makes over 200 species available to the community. GreenUP has been investing for years in the capacity to grow native plants and trees locally. This year, the GreenUP native plant propagation program has seen more plants growing in-house than ever before — currently 55 native species are taking root in GreenUP’s downtown office, including American chestnut and black oak. The Ecology Park plant propagation project aims to grow over 5,000 plants from seeds and cuttings.

“In the wake of natural disasters like the recent ice storm, it’s critical that we restore our natural environment, not just for the health of our ecosystems, but for future generations of people and all beings.” Ian says.

“Caring for the land is a vital part of our shared responsibilities.”

As a consultant-instructor at Trent University’s School of the Environment, and through his volunteer work with local environmental and Indigenous ally groups, Ian continues to demonstrate the close connection between reconciliation and environmental protection.

One of the teachings of the First Peoples is to care for all our relations, who include the land, waters, plants, and animals. Spending time with plants is one way to learn about these relations. Learn what they look like, learn their names, learn where they like to grow, and what likes to grow with them.

“With our donation, we are hoping to be the catalysts for increased funding for GreenUP Ecology Park so they can continue to do the work that they do so well,” says Sue.

Support GreenUP in growing native plants and increasing community capacity for conservation. Donate today to help match Sue and Ian, protect biodiversity locally, and ensure GreenUP reaches their $20,000 goal.

If a donation isn’t possible, please consider sharing the fundraising campaign on social media. Visit GreenUP on Facebook and Instagram.