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Trees Planted
By: Cynthia Lauer
It’s July. This month, Living Green Barrie’s 12 Actions for Climate focuses on civic engagement and the many ways to build public support to combat climate change.
University of Illinois Chicago’s Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement outlines a few key strategies for creating civic engagement:
- Political participation — vote, research candidates, attend local government meetings, and work on political campaigns to influence policy.
- Advocacy and activism — start or sign petitions, write to local media, and organize awareness campaigns to address social issues.
- Building connections — join local clubs, neighborhood associations, or civic organizations to foster social cohesion and collaboration.
- Utilizing technology — use social media platforms to raise awareness and mobilize support for community initiatives.
- Education and dialogue —initiate conversations about current events with friends and family and attend public forums to share perspectives.
The first step in solving environmental problems is to learn as much as you can about an issue that matters to you. Knowledge can be built through formal education, self-directed study, volunteer work, and active participation in community projects. Look for root causes, current policies, history, and lived experiences related to environmental issues. Information and skills help make a credible, compelling case for taking action.
Once you’re informed, you’re ready to take some action. There are many directions you can take.
Examples of environmental actions are local cleanup drives, plastic-free challenges, energy-saving initiatives or energy audits, a bag ban, a community garden, or tree planting campaigns. There are waste-free lunch days, bike-to-work or carpool-to-work programs, environmental film festivals, “turn it off” campaigns, divestment campaigns urging organizations to remove their investments from fossil fuels, and social media campaigns to mobilize supporters across wider networks.
You shouldn’t feel like you’re taking on the world by yourself. No matter what the project, it’s far more effective to find allies who are aligned with the cause. Dedicated people can be found in non-profits, community college programs, local small businesses, community organizations, government agencies, and schools. Some may be willing to build partnerships, share resources, broaden outreach, and create solutions collaboratively.
Projects can involve service-learning initiatives that pair students with local projects to address community needs, or joint community-based projects that bring together residents, advocacy groups and city officials. You may approach environmental protection startups that make eco-friendly cleaning products, reusable packing, or recycled clothing.
Another key form of civic engagement is getting involved in politics. As one of the most powerful ways to influence decisions that shape your daily life, political activism matters. Find out who’s responsible for making decisions affecting local environmental issues. Then show up, speak out, and use every available tool to make your priorities heard.
Attend city council meetings and volunteer on campaigns for candidates who support your values. Start a petition to show decision-makers that an issue has broad public support. Vote for leaders who prioritize the environment and lobby them to take actions that prioritize the environment. Let them know you care.
On their Environmental Action for Youth page, the federal government suggests some activities for political engagement:
- Ask your municipal council to hold an official kick-off for Canadian Environment Week. Get the mayor to kick off Canadian Environment Week in person by planting the first tree.
- Urge your municipality to hold a contest recognizing outstanding environmental initiatives.
- Ask your municipal council to create bike paths in your city.
- Organize an exhibit on the environment at your municipal library or community centre.
- Ask your municipal library to buy more books and documents on Canada’s environment and natural heritage.
- Invite local leaders, mayors, MPs, business executives, and environmental spokespersons to take part in your Canadian Environment Week activities.
- Write a letter to the editor of your newspaper to express your commitment, and urge your fellow citizens to take action.
Every change begins with small steps. No matter the form of civic engagement and no matter the details of the plan, the message is clear: people are coming together to identify environmental solutions and urge their implementation.
Author bio: A Living Green Barrie volunteer since 2025, Cynthia Lauer, PhD is a member of Simcoe County Master Gardeners and a regular contributor to The Gardener magazine.