Listen in on this webinar with Julia Girmenia and Rachel Lissner from Not Far From the Tree and Gabor Sass and learn about building urban food forests, the importance of localized food systems and sustainability. Get a peak into the Wood Street Park and West Lion's park food forests and hear about social food programs from Not Far From the Tree.
Gabor Sass is a recognized environmentalist, scientist, consultant, university instructor, writer and community activator who has lived in London with his family for 20+ years. Gabor is a part-time Assistant Professor at Western University where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in environmental science, urban sustainability and biogeography. He is co-founder of the PATCH, a not-for-profit advancing urban agriculture work in London. Gabor's community building includes initiatives like the Food Forests in Wood Street Park and West Lion's Park and the Pollinator Pathways Project, neighbourhood projects that have introduced residents to urban agricultural practices and current environmental concerns. Gabor is a recognized environmentalist in London, receiving the Mayor’s Honour Roll for the Environment in 2019, serving as London Public Library’s inaugural Environmentalist-in-Residence and appearing frequently as speaker and panelist at public events. Gabor and his family work at implementing sustainable practices into their lifestyle wherever they can.
Julia Girmenia (she/ her) has been the project director of Not Far From The Tree since 2021. Over the past decade, she has collaborated with organizations across Canada to develop and implement public programming in the arts and urban development sectors. Prior to joining Not Far From The Tree, Julia made significant contributions at Evergreen, both at the national and Brick Works site in Toronto, as well as at UforChange, where she played a pivotal role in building capacity for the organization.
Rachel Lissner (she/her) is the program manager of Not Far From The Tree, Toronto's fruit-picking project. She joined the team in 2022 as a longtime volunteer with the organization. Rachel has worked with a variety of organizations that strive to make Toronto a fun and thriving city for everyone, including Cycle Toronto, Jane's Walk, Waterfront Toronto, the Centre for City Ecology, and Progress Toronto. In her free time, she likes to grow vegetables, engage with nature, and explore Toronto through food.