Land Acknowledgment
It’s an important practice to situate ourselves because being mindful of this informs our decisions and moves us to greater action. We recognize that we are on land that has long been stewarded by the Anishinaabeg, The Haudenosaunee and the Lunaapeewak, and that Ontario is covered by 46 treaties and other agreements. The communities we neighbour are Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, Oneida Nation of the Thames and Munsee-Delaware Nation.
Urban Roots London acknowledges the history of atrocities that have been committed against these communities, and the ongoing inequities that still require solutions today. We also acknowledge the strengths of these communities and that we are beneficiaries of incredible Indigenous knowledge that has been transferred through generations. In many Indigenous communities, lessons are passed down through generations, sharing that food is medicine with the power to heal, comfort, bring us together, remind us of good memories, and make us feel at home.
In this spirit, we’re honoured to grow and share food with the communities around us. We’re committed to doing that in a good way, demonstrating this in the way we care for the land we grow on. We feel a deep responsibility to nurture the land, because it is the way we give back to the community. We use regenerative agriculture and other sustainable growing practices, we try to take a holistic approach, and we treat all living things with respect – these ideas might seem innovative, but that impression is from a colonised lens, because really these are principles that are older than anyone we know.
Knowledge Sharing
So much of what we know is because of the diverse and independent nations that were here before us. Planting, growing, and harvesting healthy food for our community is not a new concept, Indigenous innovation comes long before us. We celebrate the knowledge and joy of stewardship and recognize that restorative action is still necessary. Everybody has the right to enjoy fresh, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food, especially the people who taught us how to do so.
We can continue to celebrate and honour First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities. Learning is continuous, and we encourage you to keep doing so with us. Part of how we are moving forward in this learning is through starting a collaboration with Anthony and Julia who founded BUB’Z Droping & Soup Kitchen at the Oneida Nation of the Thames. This community hub, founded in 2002, serves as a food bank, a place to find clothing and toys, and also serves healthy plant-based meals to community members. See BUB’Z Droping & Soup Kitchen for further information.
Land Stewardship
Urban Roots London is committed to Land Stewardship, as part of its overall approach of environmental stewardship. Environmental stewardship encompasses the responsible use and protection of the natural environment through conservation and sustainable practices to enhance ecosystem resilience and human well-being. This stewardship reflects a value commitment that is reflected in the choices of individuals, companies, communities, and government organizations, and shaped by unique environmental, social, and economic interests. Environmental stewardship is also a behavior that is demonstrated through continuous improvement of environmental performance, and a commitment to efficient use of natural resources, protection of ecosystems, and, where applicable, ensuring a baseline of compliance with environmental requirements.
Urban Roots enacts this value and behavior through attending to 3 key types of environmental stewardship. The first type is restoration and production. This entails actions that assist in the recovery or preservation of an ecosystem that have been degraded, damaged or destroyed, aimed at allowing that ecosystem to evolve with minimal human influence. For example, this action involved restoration of a local habitat and the removal of invasive plants. For further information on this line of action, check out the information sheet available on this webpage that addresses future directions on invasive species removal (add link to pdf here). The second type entails actions related to everyday choices, as individuals and groups. For example, environmental sustainability can be supported through choices that reduce resource inputs and emissions per unit of output. Such choices that can be supported through technological change and are enacted through consumer purchasing, use, and disposal behaviors, like composting our food. The third and last type is community awareness. This involves sharing information on social media platforms and organizing community events focused on enhancing knowledge and informing actions that align with environmental stewardship. For an example of our organization’s initiatives to promote community awareness, check out our information sheet that addresses pollinators, plants and flowers native to Southern Ontario that can be used to support environmental revitalization.
Native Pollinator Gardens
Thank you to our Community Engaged Learning student placements from the University of Western Ontario for the informative documents below.
Invasive Species Management
Thank you to our Community Engaged Learning student placements from the University of Western Ontario for the informative documents below.
Urban Agriculture in London
Thank you to our Social Justice and Peace Studies Community Based Learning student placements and Community Engaged Learning student placements from the University of Western Ontario for the informative documents below.
