Chan-Dow, a Media and Communication Studies instructor, is a co-founder of the environmental sustainability group called Edgeland Collective
Connecting urban communities, rehabilitating natural spaces, increasing biodiversity with native plants and animals, and integrating all these elements. That’s what University of Guelph-Humber Media & Communication Studies (MCS) instructor Elaine Chan-Dow is doing through Edgeland Collective – an arts, culture, and environmental group she founded with her friend, artist, and educator, Jessica Hein.
Chan-Dow is already making an impact on the community with Edgeland Collective. The group recently began embarking on a special project to rehabilitate a lost creek, known as the Dentonia Park Ravine. This was made possible by successfully securing a Climate Action Grant through the City of Toronto.
“The key thing is engaging a community hoping to change. It’s a combination of attitude change, then the physical, and real change is seen in the environmental changes,” Chan-Dow said. “It’s not just about protecting or taking action, through direct activism. For me, it's about becoming a community that values sustainability, equity, and future generations.”
Since high school, Chan-Dow has been enthusiastic about caring for the environment. She even started her school’s recycling club, which is still active today. Her PhD research also focuses on the intersection of art, culture, and environmental sustainability, bringing awareness to the environment through art and academic research. And that passion spills over outside the classroom; Chan-Dow has a farmstead in Prince Edward County, Ont., where she experiments with water and waste reduction practices in agriculture. Working on making the world a better place through Edgeland Collective was simply a natural fit for her and a clear next step to doing more.
The Dentonia Park Ravine rehabilitation project in Toronto’s Victoria Park area is more than just a clean-up; it’s about making the space habitable for the community. Several apartment complexes surround the area. Chan-Dow said that during an anecdote survey they conducted with nearby residents, people indicated that they felt unsafe in the ravine, which was filled with garbage and hazardous items.
Through an event Edgeland Collective organized in April, over 45 participants cleaned up the creek (including Chan-Dow and Member of Provincial Parliament Mary-Margaret McMahon), more than 39 large bags of trash were collected, and over 17 large items like old mattresses and furniture, and hazardous items were picked up.
This isn’t the end of this project. In fact, they’re just getting started. The collective will submit to the Climate Action Grant for Phases two and three of their project. Edgeland Collective is looking to find the “happy balance” between environmental sustainability and community access and engagement through their initiatives. Chan-Dow explained that with this money, they hope to fund events to promote a greener future, including purchasing refreshments and clean-up equipment for volunteers, and compensating special guest scientists, ecologist and artists, as well as mentoring next generation student environmentalists.
Knowing how to secure a grant is an important skill to have to make freelance initiatives possible, and one that Chan-Dow has honed over the years, especially through working in the post-secondary sector. She recognizes that understanding how to write effective grant proposals is paramount and was inspired to incorporate this into the curriculum of what she teaches at the University of Guelph-Humber. So, she proposed this to MCS Chair Kathy Ullyott, who agreed that this was a great idea.
“One of the projects the class had to do was to write a real grant and submit the project for grant review to a real organization,” Chan-Dow explained of the hands-on experience she delivers to her students. “I feel very supported by the department.”
Furthermore, when it comes to inspiring others in the Guelph-Humber community to care about the environment this Earth Day and throughout the entire year, Chan-Dow said she wants to be a role model as a staff member because that inspiration is “contagious.” She wants others to know that making a difference for the environment can also start with small actions, like growing a plant, reducing your spending (she said capitalism is a major cause of environmental issues), or even putting the end of your green onions into water so it can grow again.
“People may feel overwhelmed with the bigger picture, but they can start with these little things,” Chan-Dow suggested.
To keep up with Edgeland Collective and Elaine Chan-Dow, follow them on Instagram @edgelandcollective and @elainechandow.
Looking for green space on campus? Walk over to the Humber Arboretum to connect with nature.
