Building Urban Peace in partnership with the courts and schools

PACT is decreasing the burden on both society and the environment by providing at-risk youth an opportunity to give back to their community and connect with the natural world around them. PACTForestry provides youth with an activity that instills purpose, accomplishment and inspiration often lacking in their lives.

PACTForestry teaches practical job skills, together with a broader understanding of environmental issues. The program instills self-esteem and creates opportunities for disenfranchised youth to lift themselves out of a cycle of decline. At the end of each day of tree planting and maintenance, youth take pride in seeing a forest of tomorrow planted by their own hands. They also learn first-hand the value of urban forests, experiencing the beauty and peace of such natural settings in contrast to the urban rush.

Working in collaboration with the City of Toronto: Urban Forestry Department, PACT has made huge strides in restoring Toronto's urban ecosystem. Working at ET Seton Park and on Toronto Island, PACT has planted thousands of native trees, shrubs and wildflowers and is creating a thriving ecosystem, able to support a myriad of life and a diversity of species.