by producing solutions centered in nature.
Our goal is to improve biodiversity, build community and enhance resiliency.
'Tree Hug' is a small batch of sap ale produced in partnership with GoodLot Farmstead Brewery and Credit Valley Conservation to honour the spring awakening of Ontario's forests. The sap in this hyper-local brew hails from the maple trees in the Terra Cotta Conservation Area and was produced to raise funds to support The Credit Valley Conservation Foundation. It's one example of how Wilder collaborates with purpose-led brands to champion initiatives that safeguard local ecosystems.
'Tree Hug' is available for purchase at select retailers and GoodLot's taproom, while the
limited run lasts.
Supported by a pro bono grant from Accenture and serving as a research collaborator to the National Tree Seed Centre, Wilder supported the distribution and analysis of a critical survey to help understand Canada’s domestic native tree seed production supply chain.
With Accenture, Wilder produced a report focused on interpreting the qualitative data and providing insights to assist the restoration and afforestation sectors in building the necessary seed supply.
The report is available for download here. If you have questions, comments or would like to start a conversation, please be in touch.
As a direct response to the findings in the Growing Future Forests Report, Wilder earned a Global Sustainability Grant from Accenture and pro bono support from Amazon Web Services to build a first of its kind beta tool to help connect those with a need for native seed with those capable of gathering that seed. The product, called Squiirrel, earned the title of Top Innovator in the Uplink Trillion Trees Restoration at Scale Challenge hosted by the World Economic Forum. The tool has now been spun out into a separate business called Seedark that is working to produce software and technology solutions for the global ecological restoration industry.
In partnership with The Royal Canadian Geographical Society, TD and Dougan and Associates, Wilder is a founding partner in The Network of Nature.
The Network of Nature is an open organization of networked projects and people committed to building a future in which all Canadians respect and relate to nature.
We provide educational resources and access to human-scale interventions that provide Canadians with agency and hope in restoring nature and our place within it.
Learn more and get involved in a project in your community, here.
Mini Forests, also known as Tiny Forests or Miyawaki Forests, are small-scale, densely planted, native urban forests consisting of trees and shrubs. The method emphasizes the use of dense plantings, diverse locally-adapted climax forest species, soil preparation, and multilayered design to mimic the complexity of a native forest. Wilder is actively involved in the development and expansion of this national initiative being run by The Network of Nature, supporting the development of training materials, fundraising and ongoing operational work need to help mini forests make a massive impact.
Since 2020, Wilder has worked with a number of partners to custom grow special trees. Partners include Evergreen Brickworks, Manulife and Highway of Heroes through Trees for Life. We delight in the opportunity to work with people interested in growing special trees and getting them back out into local landscapes.
Jason van Bruggen is a Canadian photographer, filmmaker, activist and marketer based in Toronto. His immersive storytelling expresses an ambition to share authentic and truthful stories with the world. His deep connection to wilderness and wild-ness is expressed throughout his work. His affinity for trees was nurtured by spending the summers of his youth planting over a million trees, running tree planting contracts in northern Canada, and leading canoe trips to the wildest places in the country.
In addition to numerous international editorial publications and commercial credits, his work as a visual artist has been profiled by National Geographic, Outside Magazine and shown in galleries and cultural institutions around the world. His film work has aired on networks around the world including BBC, PBS, CBS, CBC, and SRF1.
Jason holds a Masters Degree in History from Queen’s University and is a citizen of Canada and the Netherlands. He has traveled and worked in over 100 countries, including some of the most remote and austere locations on the planet. He is a Fellow International of the Explorers Club and a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. He is a multi-year featured artist at CONTACT Photography Festival and a TEDx 2021 speaker.
For the last two decades, Blaine has worked at the intersection of business, innovation, and creativity. In successive positions at DDB, Ogilvy and TAXI, Blaine led projects for clients including Destination Canada, IBM and Johnson & Johnson before opening her own agency Dot Dot Dash. As leader of the creative agency focussed on 'giving agency to good', she has been responsible for developing marketing, creative and advocacy campaigns for clients like Patagonia, Greenpeace, and Oceana.
An optimistic nature enthusiast with an entrepreneur's heart, Blaine is also co-founder of several media companies, is actively involved in advising a suite of start-ups and is past Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of The Friends of Allan Gardens.
For nearly 40 years, Janet Rosenberg & Studio (JRS) have created beautiful landscapes and intelligent urban and natural spaces that have significantly advanced the landscape architecture profession in Canada. The firm’s work has consistently demonstrated a creative and innovative approach to design, a strong commitment to sustainability and a sophisticated cross-disciplinary approach to large urban projects. Janet’s designs tell a narrative about the land, deeply informed by each site's natural and cultural history. Her influence extends well beyond her award-winning projects and the large body of work created by JRS. She is equally well-known and widely respected as a passionate advocate for the critical role of landscape architecture in the public realm. Janet believes that the challenges posed by climate change are the defining issues of our generation, and as the founding principal of Janet Rosenberg & Studio, her work remains deeply concerned with interpreting the effects of climate change on local environments and pro-actively planning for anticipated environmental change through design innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration.
With over 20 years of leadership experience across private, public and non-profit sectors, Julian has been supporting organizations (and the people within them) to reach and unleash their true potential.
Julian is obsessed with building a new world inside the shell of the old. He has stewarded numerous companies thru complex transformations towards sustainable and regenerative goals: leading social impact accelerators, nature-based solutions, zero-waste product design, and inclusive, authentic leadership development initiatives.
As an active lead within Accenture's Sustainability, Social Innovation and Corporate Citizenship practices, he plays the role of instigator, human-centered designer, storyteller, and group process facilitator, leveraging a vast network of intelligence to solve complex and systems level social and environmental challenges.
For over 30 years Wayne has been a thought leader in the Nursery Industry. A serial entrepreneur, Wayne Hinton met Dr. Whitcomb more than twenty-five years ago while operating a nursery in Tennessee. With the Whitcomb patented technology, Wayne decided to create a company to change the way plants are grown. The two forged a partnership that led to the creation of RootMaker®. Wayne spends as much time consulting growers on best nursery practices as he does on managing a fast-growing business. Rootmaker has grown steadily to serve a constantly expanding customer roster. Through catalogues, trade show appearances and digital marketing, the company sells more than 100 products ranging from plant containers to propagation products. The company also administers the RootMaker® Certified Grower's program, which certifies plants grown at commercial nurseries and tree farms using the RootMaker® Root Branching System.
Besides growing superior plants, Wayne has a goal to create a more sustainable ecology by deploying the concept of landscape scale reforestation. His goal is to become a disruptive force to dramatically improve our environment. His mission is to restore the Earth’s essential forest and wetland ecosystems. He envisions the Earth in balance — its original vitality and natural abundance available to all, for generations to come.
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