Faces of Forests Ontario: Emily Hart

Favourite Tree: Willow

Favourite Animal: Red ruffed lemur

Forests Ontario is thrilled to introduce Emily Hart, our new Events and Public Engagement Manager! Emily joined the Forests Ontario family in November 2021, and has since planned and executed a number of programs such as the Christmas Tree Sales event at The Distillery District, the Annual Conference, and, most recently, Reconciliation Community Tree Plant (RCTP) events.

Emily has loved the environment for as long as she can remember and is a literal tree hugger. She recalls a time when she was a mere 12 years-old and was at a sleep-away camp in Noisy River, Ontario. While everyone was playing outdoors, she was hugging trees. Her love for the environment continued to develop.

Emily grew up in Toronto, and after graduating high school, moved to Montreal for two-and-a-half years before returning to her hometown to pursue higher education. She completed an advanced diploma in Business Administration - Marketing from George Brown College with the ultimate goal of positively contributing to society. From there, she worked for numerous non-profit organizations in Toronto before moving to Innisfil to work for Simcoe County’s Economic Development department. However, this was never in her overall career plan. Her desire to connect with the environment, impact her natural surroundings, and work with invested, talented, and kind-hearted people lead her to join Forests Ontario.

When imagining her future, Emily did not see herself continuing her work within the event industry, but when she saw Forests Ontario’s posting, she realized she could accomplish her ultimate goal using those 15 years of experience. From tree hugging at 12, to planning events that encourage others to plant trees, her professional life has come full circle.

In her spare time, Emily likes gardening and working in her small greenhouse. She dreams of one day raising chickens and small goats. But until then, she will continue to enjoy all the glorious little moments in life with her child and take advantage of all her favourite activities, including swimming, cycling, arts & crafts, reading, and enjoying open outdoor spaces on her ATV.