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14 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday July 21, 2006 www.oakvillebeaver.com Local community groups Evergreen grant recipients Bronte Creek Provincial Park and the Salvation Army Shelter will be getting greener thanks to funding sponsored by Wal-Mart Canada and led by Evergreen. The two locations have received funding, to flow this summer, from Green Grants -- a Canadian community greening program that aims to protect the environment and make greener, more livable cities by providing funding for projects across Canada. Receiving $5,000 is the Friends of Bronte Creek Park for a Bronte Creek Wildlife project at Bronte Creek Provincial Park. The project is to plant 6,000 native tree species at Bronte Creek Provincial Park to create a lengthy and dense buffer for habitat linkages and wildlife corridors on the 689-hectare island of green space. Mike Lansdown, chair of Friends of Bronte Creek, said the project has strategic significance as it intends for the trees to grow into forest corridors connecting the Bronte Creek watershed to the surrounding, provincially-designated greenbelt, up to the Niagara Escarpment. "The rapid urbanization of Halton is creating a significant increase in the heritage and social value of Bronte Creek to the surrounding communities," said Lansdown. "The generous Green Grant will help immeasurably in buffering our wildlife corridors and habitats from the encroaching residential developments," he said. Ground Breakers of Oakville, a group organized by Oakville resident and Oakvillegreen Conservation Association Inc. president Liz Benneian, is also receiving $6,000 for its project, Healthy Living at the Halton Lighthouse, at the Salvation Army Lighthouse Emergency Shelter, 750 Redwood Square. Ground Breakers Oakville organized Healthy Living at the Halton Lighthouse, a project that created an all-native landscape around the shelter with native trees, bushes, and wildflower beds. Additionally, two vegetable gardens were planted. Three planting events took place over the past year engaging local volunteers in planning, designing, and implementation; from Ground Breakers, the Muslim Residents' Association, King's Christian Collegiate, Ford of Canada, PriceWaterhouse Coopers, Home Depot, shelter residents, local councillors, and Lighthouse and Evergreen staff. "The shelter residents helped with the project planning, particularly for the vegetable gardens," said Benneian. "Thanks to the residents, volunteers, and the great community support from Evergreen, Wal-Mart and our other community partners, the all native landscaping at the shelter is a model for other community businesses and institutions," said Benneian. Over $262,000 in Green Grants will be awarded to 45 community groups in 2006 to support a wide range of environmental revitalization projects that focus on developing healthy green space and restoring key urban habitats, such as woodlands, meadows, wetlands and ravines. "In just two years, through our partnership with Wal-Mart Canada, over half a million in funding has been awarded to 82 community groups to improve the quality of the environment," said Geoff Cape, executive director of Evergreen. "We are very excited about this year's Green Grants recipients and are looking forward to seeing the environmental improvements in communities across Canada," said Mario Pilozzi, president and CEO of Wal-Mart Canada. "Giving back to the environment and to the communities through the Green Grants program reinforces our ongoing commitment to sustaining the environment through long-term solutions," said Pilozzi. Green Grant recipients are selected by a review committee consisting of Evergreen staff and external experts from conservation organizations and government agencies from across the country. Evergreen is a charity that builds the relationship between nature, culture and community in urban spaces.