Donna Rice, right, is chair of the board at EcoSpark and Aurien Grace is a volunteer.
By Kathy Rowe
EcoSpark is an environmental charity connecting people to their local natural environment through education, monitoring and stewardship. Operating since 1996, the organization has developed a reputation as a community leader in local engagement, education, citizen science and collaboration.
Retired educator Donna Rice is chair of the board of EcoSpark and she told me how the organization developed over the last 30 years. It was originally named Environment Watch, she said, and it was founded by several Canadian scientists, including Dr. Ursula Franklin. Her team first imagined citizens working to gather data as a result of provincial cuts to the monitoring of our waterways. The programs have changed over the years, but their goal is to connect people with their local environment through everyday, easy-to-access citizen science programs.
“EcoSpark works with schools across the City of Toronto and it has a partnership with the Toronto District School Board,” Donna said. “We work with students primarily from Grades 6 to 12 and our programs are connected to the curriculum.” EcoSpark tends to focus on inner-city schools, which benefits students who often need more exposure to nature. “This helps with mental health as well,” Donna said.
She noted that one of the most successful programs is School Watch, which is done in schoolyards, local parks or ravines. This program is all about outdoor workshops that focus on environmental monitoring throughout the school year. Other programs offered are: Tree Benefits, Biodiversity, Health and Wellness, and Plants and Energy. The biodiversity data collected during these workshops is shared with scientists nationally and internationally.
“We also run a volunteer project called Caterpillars Count!, which kids really like,” Donna said. This is a citizen science project for measuring the seasonal variation and abundance of arthropods like caterpillars, beetles and spiders found on the foliage of trees and shrubs. EcoSpark helps with starter kits, in-person training, curriculum connections and more.
As with School Watch, the data collected is shared with scientists. In 2025, EcoSpark was featured in a wonderful documentary produced by TVO called The Extraordinary Caterpillar. This beautiful 60-minute film talks about the essential role that caterpillars play in the food web and what we can do to support climate action.
EcoSpark’s funding comes from a variety of sources. In addition to the funding, they organize three major fundraisers that are promoted through letters to sponsors, their elaborate website, social media, and their electronic newsletters. Donations are encouraged for Walk on the Wild Side, a Spring Silent Auction and Send a Kid to Camp.
“This is our second year doing the Send a Kid to Camp fundraiser,” said Donna, “and this year we will be sending two kids to camp for free! We work with the Toronto Police and Rotary Scarborough to help us get the message out and they also help choose the kids who will get the opportunity to go to Camp Muskoka for a week. We love this fundraiser as we can help more kids have a wonderful summer experience.”
EcoSpark certainly is a busy organization with a wonderful mission. We hope to have them back at our Earth Day event next year.