Conservation Groups Toronto

Private Photography Session: Canadian Raptor Conservancy

HUMBER RIVER: (Salmon Spawn Nature Walk & Social Gathering) (Bloor & Old Mill)

Hello everyone, **\*\*Kindly Read Carefully\*\*** Please join me and my other groups for a wonderful leisure nature walk along the **Humber River** meeting out front of **Old Mill Station and Bloor.** A beautiful, breathtaking walk for all nature enthusiasts. We will meet at the Corner of **Bloor Street W. and Old Mill Tr.** (North-East Corner) (Just outside of the **Old Mill subway station**) This will give us an opportunity to introduce ourselves as everyone arrives; then make our way down and along the Don River \***Street parking** found along Bloor Street- just west of our meeting spot \*We will most likely go for a bite to eat after too :) Event Details below: Sincerely, Steve Flemming (Organizer/Host) Event Details: **HUMBER RIVER: (Salmon Spawn Nature Walk & Social Gathering) (Bloor & Old Mill Station)** \*We can stop and rest at different spots along the way, take some photos and share some laughs \*Perhaps play a couple icebreaker games as well to help build some bonds \*This fun, leisure walk will be a great way to make some new connections, appreciate the nature in full bloom, get some fresh air and see the city from a wonderful new perspective :) *Walking of course is great for all of this but why not do it with a little friendly company too :)* \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Event Fee:** 10 dollars (cash only) when you arrive or e transfer in advance to **Steveflemming11@gmail.com** \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Time and Location: Where to meet us?** \*Please arrive between 3:00 pm and 3:30 pm (Do your best to arrive early instead of late gang- greatly appreciated) Let's meet at the corner of **Bloor Street W. and Old Mill Tr.** (North-East Corner) (Just a few meters outside of the **Old Mill subway station** towards Bloor. \*Plenty of parking along Bloor Street or simply take the subway \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- ***Thanks for reading everyone, remember to RSVP and see you real soon!*** :) \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-

Saturday Outing - Jim Tovey Conservation Trail

🐾 Give Back: TNR Cat Rescue Volunteer Day

Please read the details before RSVPing. 🐾 Time to give back, guys We’ve partnered with a non-profit animal rescue group to support a TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) campaign in Scarborough, near 75 Birchmount Ave. We’re looking for volunteers to help with 1. 🪤 Setting up traps at designated locations 2. 🚗 Transporting cats to/from the clinic 3. 🐱 Feeding cats at designated locations Some activities require access to your own vehicle, while others simply require your time and willingness to help. Every little bit helps, and the cats definitely need us. ❤️? Anyone allergic to cats, furs or anything related to animals, please do not signup You participate this in this event at your own risk. Organizers of this meetup or anyone who is part of this campaign isn't responsible for any untoward incident during your participation in this event .

Hike Leaders’ Meeting at Marjan’s Trail ✅

Our hike leaders are getting together to share ideas, plan future hikes and adventures and help our community continue to grow. Thank you to all our volunteers and members for making every hike a great experience. 🥾🥾

Cliffs & Fall Colours: A Bruce Peninsula Hike

**Please note the only way to register for this adventure is on [our website.](https://www.wildernessunion.com/adventures/bruce-peninsula-26)** **The Bruce Peninsula does dramatic better than almost anywhere else in Ontario, and fall is when it really shows off.** We'll be out for most of the day, covering 8.5km of moderate hiking through some of the best autumn scenery in the province, with the changing leaves against the escarpment's limestone making for a proper contrast. We'll start in the forest before the trail opens onto the coastline, tracing the cliffs down to the Grotto. It's the most photographed spot on the peninsula for good reason: crystal clear water, a sea cave carved into the rock, and a natural window out to the bay. We'll take our time here, including a stop for lunch. From the Grotto we'll keep following the shoreline out to Stormhaven, crossing pebble beaches with open views across Georgian Bay the whole way. We'll turn around there and retrace the coastline back, catching all the same cliffs and colour from the other direction with the light shifted by then. **Two important things to note:** 1. **Self driving isn't possible for this trip. Parking passes at the trailhead sell out well in advance, so all members travel together on WU transport.** 2. **Bruce Peninsula National Park is stunning, but be aware that it is a long drive there and back. Full details are in the itinerary below.** **Accessibility** Wilderness Union is committed to making our adventures as accessible as possible. If you wish to make an accommodation request relating to a disability or provide feedback, please do so by sending an email to info@wildernessunion.com **Highlights** **The Grotto:** The peninsula's most famous natural feature: a limestone sea cave with turquoise water and a rock window looking out over Georgian Bay. **Stormhaven Coastline:** A stretch of cobble beach with wide open views across the bay, well past where most day hikers turn around. **Fall Colour on the Escarpment:** Peak autumn colour against the Niagara Escarpment's pale limestone cliffs, a contrast you don't get anywhere else on the Bruce Trail\*\*.\*\* **Event cost: $140+HST. Transportation is included in the cost of the adventure. Please register [here.](https://www.wildernessunion.com/adventures/bruce-peninsula-26)** **About Wilderness Union** Wilderness Union is deliberate about building an outdoors community that connects you to the life-changing magic of the outdoors and helps you find your people. Members range from 20-40 years old. The group is a mix of GTA locals and newcomers to Toronto from within Canada and abroad. Attendance numbers on Meetup don't reflect our actual event attendance - we typically have 15-20 community members at each event. Large enough that there's someone new to meet but small enough that it's not overwhelming! ***Learn more at our website [www.wildernessunion.com](https://www.wildernessunion.com/)***

The Return of the Moral State: Philosophy and the Good Life

Across the world, politics is returning to one of its oldest questions: should the state promote particular, substantive conceptions of the good life? Modern liberalism has approached this ambition with suspicion, seeking instead to leave individuals and communities free to pursue different visions of human flourishing. Yet from Hungary and the United States to China, India, and Israel, influential movements and governments increasingly reject this restraint, using law, education, welfare, media, and public culture to promote specific ideals of family, order, harmony, pride, sacrifice, and belonging. This talk examines the return of what I call the “good life state.” I argue that these projects cannot be understood only through the languages of authoritarianism, populism, or democratic backsliding. They also offer substantive moral visions — sometimes attractive, sometimes dangerous — of how people ought to live. Their rise poses a difficult question for liberalism: how can it respond to rival visions of the good life without becoming a good life state itself? Alexandre Lefebvre https://profiles.sydney.edu.au/alex.lefebvre Professor of Politics and Philosophy University of Sydney **About the Speaker:** I’m Professor of Politics and Philosophy at the University of Sydney, where I explore how political ideas shape our lives. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, I earned my PhD at Johns Hopkins University in 2007 and now call Sydney home. For more than a decade, my work has explored one central idea: politics does not just govern us. Political ideas and institutions reach deep into our lives, forming who we are, what we value, and how we understand what makes a life worth living. My latest book, ***[Liberalism as a Way of Life](https://www.alexlefebvre.com/books)***, argues that liberalism deeply informs not just our politics, but also our values, humor, morality, and so much more. It was named a Best Book of 2024 by The New Yorker, Australian Book Review, Persuasion, and The Ministry of Pop Culture, and was praised as “stirring and clarifying” by David Brooks in *The New York Times* and “daring and engrossing” by Becca Rothfeld in *The Washington Post*. My current project, *The Good Life State,* examines a global return to one of politics’ oldest ambitions: using state power to shape citizens’ conceptions of the good life. **\* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \*** This is a talk with audience Q&A presented by the University of Toronto's Centre for Ethics that is free to attend and open to the public. Free refreshments will be provided at the event. The talk will also be streamed online with live chat here [to be posted]. About the Centre for Ethics (http://ethics.utoronto.ca): The Centre for Ethics is an interdisciplinary centre aimed at advancing research and teaching in the field of ethics, broadly defined. The Centre seeks to bring together the theoretical and practical knowledge of diverse scholars, students, public servants and social leaders in order to increase understanding of the ethical dimensions of individual, social, and political life. In pursuit of its interdisciplinary mission, the Centre fosters lines of inquiry such as (1) foundations of ethics, which encompasses the history of ethics and core concepts in the philosophical study of ethics; (2) ethics in action, which relates theory to practice in key domains of social life, including bioethics, business ethics, and ethics in the public sphere; and (3) ethics in translation, which draws upon the rich multiculturalism of the City of Toronto and addresses the ethics of multicultural societies, ethical discourse across religious and cultural boundaries, and the ethics of international society. The Ethics of A.I. Lab at the Centre For Ethics recently appeared on a list of 10 organizations leading the way in ethical A.I.: https://ocean.sagepub.com/blog/10-organizations-leading-the-way-in-ethical-ai

Walk and Salmon watching (Free or Paid Event))

Salmons are expected to be swimming upstream. An annual upward migration. We will spend some time to watch at a few spots and then continue with our walk and return back to the starting point. We will wait until 3:10pm and start walking. If you arrive late, pls follow the Humber River Trail heading north and you can catch up with the group. Distance: 7 to 9km Difficulty: Very Easy Trail: Flat Paved Trail **Transport** Recommend taking TTC or Uber. **TTC**: Get off Old Mill station and walk to the park. **Parking**: There is Paid & Free Parking available nearby meeting spot. Pls look up if you are driving. **Event Fee\*** Free if you RSVP before Sep16 $1.99 if you RSVP on/after Sep17 **Cash** - *In person when you arrive at event* **Etransfer-** *[themoja@outlook.com](http://mailto:themoja@outlook.com/) --> use password **meetup*** **Credit Card**- *[Click here to pay via Stripe](https://buy.stripe.com/bJeeVd3li4Cq3rS7Gh0oM00)* 💬 **Stay Connected:** ***Join Whatsapp Group - [CLICK HERE](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSflzD3fDrU5sLARAT5yDF3OhEu3Vj-2P7ci8mP5FYX46rt1NQ/viewform)*** ***Follow on Instagram - [CLICK HERE](https://www.instagram.com/tam.club/)*** \**Signing up in advance helps us plan better. If you’d like to join without registering, there is a $15 drop-in fee. Pls bring exact amount in cash.*

The Future of Wellbeing: AI, Community & Social Impact

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-future-of-wellbeing-ai-community-social-impact-tickets-1997859089317?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAcGRvZgJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAad9JE43Cv4asJwzLwmAkV5UH94sl9eJwjPGVPLPRLCUuBLTGMNoB7aCPW61-A_aem_eqTb0M6UTv4G97JZPcFxPw **Overview** What does it mean to build AI in service of wellbeing? A one-day forum on tech, climate, mental health, community & social impact. *A Community Panel & Networking* An evening forum on what it means to build technology in service of wellbeing. As AI reshapes how we live, work, and care for one another, one question matters more than ever: what does it mean to build and adopt technology in service of holistic wellbeing — human, community, and societal — in the Canadian context? The Mindful Impact Forum brings together nonprofit leaders, founders, technologists, youth, and changemakers for a focused day of conversation and practice. We move deliberately from the human to the technical: first setting the foundation of what wellbeing truly means, then turning to how we build and adopt AI responsibly in service of it. After launching our forum series in Vancouver this past March, we're bringing it to Toronto for a single, focused edition — in partnership with Google Developer Groups and The Dais, TMU. ### **What you'll experience** * A flagship day of remarks, a keynote, and an opening panel on wellbeing * A creatively facilitated community forum — real cross-sector dialogue * A hands-on AI & technology for social impact workshop * Practical tools for leadership, resilience, and innovation you can use the next morning * A genuinely cross-sector room: founders, youth leaders, community builders, and changemakers ### **The program** Session 1 — Framing & Community Panel: What Wellbeing Means Session 2 — AI and Responsible Innovation: From Principles to Practice Session 3 — Finding our Wisdom Way Forward: Future Community Wellbeing & Leadership ## Event Details **📍 Location:** The Sandbox, TMU (341 Yonge St 3rd floor, Toronto, ON M5B 1S1) **📅 Date:** Oct 14, Wednesday 2026 **⏰ Time:** 6 PM - 9:00 PM (Door open 5:30 PM) **🎫 Ticket — FREE -$50** All proceeds support Wisdomway Impact’s mental wellbeing initiatives. Student & Youth (under 25, limited spots) FREE **Speakers** 1. **AJ Kim** is a social entrepreneur, global impact practitioner, dedicated to building spaces where inner development and collective change meet. Her work spans leadership development, youth empowerment, and community wellbeing initiatives in Asia, Africa, and Canada, grounded in field experiences, dialogue, and systems thinking. Through forums, education programs, and partnerships, she explores how mental wellbeing can become a foundation for stronger communities, sustainable leadership, and long-term social impact. 2. **Alejandro Castellanos** Toronto-based AI Systems Architect, Alejandro builds trustworthy AI technologies for community resilience, public-interest intelligence, and human-centred care. His work emphasizes evidence, human oversight, and technology that strengthens—not replaces—human judgment. 3. **Camara Chambers** (*Director of Learning and Events, The Dais at TMU)* Named one of 100 Black Women in Canada to Watch and a national leader by The Philanthropist Journal, Camara has spent her career where equity meets civic engagement — leading a national policy program for Europe's largest LGBTQ charity, and serving as Executive Director of Volunteer Toronto, Canada's largest volunteer centre. At the Dais she builds community partnerships and designs leadership programs for Canada's next generation of leaders, and she founded Let's Hike T.O., which has introduced over 1,300 people to the trails. She brings the question that keeps the whole session honest: responsible *for whom?* 4. **Carolyn Shaw** is the Co-Founder, President and Chief Creative Officer of Humanity, an independent, Black-owned and female-led agency built for changemakers. With more than 20 years of experience in marketing, branding and design, she helps purpose-driven organizations turn bold ambitions into ideas, experiences and campaigns that move people. Carolyn believes the strongest organizations are built by keeping people—their needs, dignity and lived experiences—at the centre of how we lead, communicate and create change. Her work spans health, education, culture, sustainability and the nonprofit sector, bringing strategy and creativity together to make complex issues more human and meaningful. A lifelong learner and advocate for purpose-led leadership, Carolyn is especially interested in how organizations can pursue progress without losing sight of the people that progress is meant to serve. 5. **Danielle (dane) Cadhit** is an experience designer, story weaver, facilitator, and lifelong observer of patterns. At Coralus, she crafts experiences that invite people to connect more deeply, see and do things differently, and (re)imagine new possibilities.Her curiosity tends to live in the spaces between things: between people and ideas, work and life, structure and emergence, the inner world and the communities we build around us. Lately, she has been especially interested in what happens when we stop treating ourselves like something to optimize, and instead pay more attention to the rhythms, seasons, relationships, and conditions that shape how we actually live, work, gather, and create. 6. **Hilary Van Welter** is CEO (Chief Exploration Officer) at Ascentia, Coralus Transformation Architect, and Associate Steward at Bounce Beyond. She has spent a lifetime exploring how life, people, organizations, communities and nature flourish, evolve and bring new possibilities into being. Her perspective has been shaped by decades of looking at these questions from many angles, across government, business, social innovation, community and systems transformation. Her work lives at the intersection of strategy, imagination and living systems, with a particular curiosity about the relationships and conditions that reimagine even the term wellbeing beyond the individual into community and society. She brings the wisdom of a long trajectory, a deep trust in life’s intelligence, and an ability to sense patterns and possibilities while they are still emerging. 7. **Jake Hirsch-Allen** (*Director of Partnerships, The Dais at TMU)* Jake works at the intersection of inclusive technology, ethical data, and responsible AI. He built public-private partnerships in workforce development and higher education at LinkedIn, co-founded Lighthouse Labs, and advises impact investors, public-sector leaders, and startups on responsible tech and AI governance. A former intellectual property and international criminal lawyer who clerked at the Supreme Court of Israel, he can speak to the ethics, the policy, and the build of AI all at once — and here, he opens the questions the demos will have to answer. 8. **Katie Choi (she/her)** is the Lead of Community Education at HF Care and a registered social worker with experience supporting diverse communities across the mental health, developmental services, and settlement sectors. Drawing on both her professional background and her lived experience as an immigrant and the daughter of immigrant parents, Katie is passionate about exploring how culture, migration, and family dynamics shape holistic wellness. Through her work, she supports front-line workers in building culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and strengths-based approaches to service delivery. 9. **Kritima Kukreja** Technology professional and mobile developer, Founder of Synk Tech AI. Specialized in creating smart agents, chatbots and automations that scales for the client’s needs. A former experienced developer in well-known companies such as IBM, MicroSoft, Bank of America, and Google. Kritima builds user-focused digital experiences and explores the intersection of AI, mobile technology, and emerging digital tools. She is also an active member of Toronto’s tech community, supporting and mentoring fellow builders. 10. **Swelen Andari** is the Director of Strategy, Climate Resilience & Youth Mental Health at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). She leads a research and systems change initiative to address climate distress, climate action, and active hope for youth. Swelen leads the CAMH Mental Health & Climate Response Initiative, an organization-wide effort addressing climate-related mental health impacts. Trained as a Creative Arts Therapist and with a background in systems thinking, and implementation science, she has over a decade of experience in system-level initiatives to improve access, service design, prevention, and youth leadership in Ontario’s child/youth mental health system. For several years, Swelen was involved in local and national climate justice organizing, including collaborating with Climate Justice Toronto, supporting the 350’s Our Time Campaign, and co-designing a social movement organization committed to advancing equitable climate solution, good work and dignity for all. ## Organizer & Sponsors **Wisdomway Impact** connects mental wellbeing with community, social, and environmental resilience. We support leadership programs, community wellbeing strategies, and cross-sector impact projects that strengthen trust and collective care. We believe community wellbeing begins with inner wellbeing. Your ticket directly supports ongoing community initiatives and leadership development programs. **The Dais, Toronto Metropolitan University** is a public policy and leadership think tank, working at the intersection of technology, education and democracy to build shared prosperity and citizenship for Canada. With over 20 research reports exploring how AI is reshaping work, public policy, education and the nonprofit sector, the Dais has helped organizations build the knowledge and practical skills needed to adopt AI responsibly and effectively through the RAISE initiative which saw 550+ nonprofit professionals across Canada access practical training on AI governance and adoption. **GDG Toronto** is a chapter of Google Developer Groups, a global network of local, community-run developer groups. We bring people together around Google technologies through talks, hands-on workshops, and hackathons to be the technology literacy bridge for our community.

Wilder Series: The Wilder Loop

**Please note the only way to register for this adventure is on [our website.](https://www.wildernessunion.com/adventures/wilder-loop-fall-26)** **The loop is back and more wild than ever!** For those unfamiliar, The Wilder Loop is 16 km of remote, rugged terrain through one of Ontario’s most untouched landscapes. Right from the start, the trail throws you into the wild: the first 5 km have everything we love about backcountry hiking; twisting forest paths, sweeping granite ridges, narrow boardwalks, and multiple beaver dams to scramble across. No two kilometers are the same, and every twist in the trail feels like a secret waiting to be found. Once we hit the loop section, things get much quieter. This part of the park sees very few visitors as human footprints give way to moose tracks, and the rustling in the brush might just be one of the many beavers that call this area home. Though the total elevation gain is relatively modest (about 260 m over the whole route), the trail’s difficulty comes from its remoteness, terrain, and ever-changing conditions. That said, for those willing to take it on, the reward is huge: sweeping views, total solitude, an unfiltered experience of Ontario’s boreal beauty... and a well-earned sense of pride by the time we make it back to the trailhead. ***Secret Location*** This is one of Wilderness Union's 'secret' hikes. As a group, we visit some truly special spots that are undiscovered by the wider world. We like to keep them pristine and only share them among our members- we ask that you do the same! We reveal the location to registered members in the days before the trip. **Accessibility** Wilderness Union is committed to making our adventures as accessible as possible. If you wish to make an accommodation request relating to a disability or provide feedback, please do so by sending an email to info@wildernessunion.com **Highlights** **Untouched Wilderness:** Step into a landscape that feels frozen in time; wild, windswept, and wonderfully remote. Just you, the forest, and the sound of your boots on the trail. **Wildlife Spotting:** Bears, moose, beavers and loons are just some of the creatures that call this area home. You'll have a chance to spot some from a safe distance for a magical encounter. **Beaver Dam Crossings:** The area we're visiting is shaped by beavers. Tiptoe across nature’s original bridges- muddy, meticulously built, and surprisingly sturdy **Event cost: $60+HST. $50 optional transport also available. Please register [here.](https://www.wildernessunion.com/adventures/wilder-loop-fall-26)** **About Wilderness Union** Wilderness Union is deliberate about building an outdoors community that connects you to the life-changing magic of the outdoors and helps you find your people. Members range from 20-40 years old. The group is a mix of GTA locals and newcomers to Toronto from within Canada and abroad. Attendance numbers on Meetup don't reflect our actual event attendance - we typically have 15-20 community members at each event. Large enough that there's someone new to meet but small enough that it's not overwhelming! ***Learn more at our website [www.wildernessunion.com](https://www.wildernessunion.com/)***

🍁 Chasing Fall Colours at Forks of the Credit

Let’s head out to Forks of the Credit Provincial Park for a beautiful fall hike through colourful forests, rolling trails, and the scenic Cataract Falls! We can then stop on our way back for dinner! We’ll take our time, enjoy the views, take plenty of photos, and have some good company along the way. Meetup fee - $2, please interac to - mech.mandeep@gmail.com or vibhuchaudhary@yahoo.com 🥾 The Plan Moderate hike — roughly 2–3 hours Forest trails + fall colours + Cataract Falls Start hiking at 12:15 PM Please arrive by 12:00 PM so we can get organized and start together IMPORTANT — PARK RESERVATION Everyone driving must book their own vehicle reservation in advance. Reservations open 5 days before the visit. Please book the 12:00 PM–4:00 PM time slot. Please don't wait until the day of the hike, as October weekends can fill up quickly. Bring water, snacks, and comfortable hiking shoes. Autumn trails can be muddy or slippery, so dress accordingly. Come for the fall colours, stay for the waterfall and good company! 🍁😊

Photography Walk: Fall Colours @ U of T