Green Leaders

André comes from a long line of dairy farmers. He’s the fifth generation of Brissons to carve out a living on the family farm in Embrun. It’s a small, rural community of about 8,000 residents. Even so, with Ottawa only a 30-minute drive away, it’s far from isolated. Embrun’s residents have noted the ever-encroaching suburbs, he tells me. As things around the rural community become less green, André began to think more about trees.

Port Hope residents Art and Donna Marvin have recently been named Forests Ontario’s newest ‘Green Leaders.’ Dedicated to the continued enrichment of their beloved family farm, the couple reforested their 100-acre property, planting 11,000 trees over a two year period.

Glenn Coon knows a thing or two about caring. In 1990, he and his wife Pam, both pharmacists, moved to Port Rowan and purchased the local Pharmasave. Over the past 25 years, they have been caring for the health and well-being of local residents. Throughout their years in Port Rowan, the couple has raised two children, Alex and Tori, ran successful businesses and been active and engaged community members. It’s no surprise then that, for Glenn, wanting to care for the environment was hard-wired.

Trees Ontario’s newest Green Leader is no stranger to the environment. Mark Cullen, “Canada’s Favourite Gardener”, has tackled environmental projects since his childhood, after getting a firsthand education in the nursery business through his family’s company, Weall and Cullen. These days, Mark is well-known for his work teaching Canadians to “think green”, both through his website markcullen.com and through his high-profile appearances on outlets such as CTV, Canada AM, and the Toronto Star. It’s this lifelong dedication to environmentalism that led Cullen to undertake a large-scale restoration project on his property in Scugog, Ontario.

Trees Ontario’s Green Leader Program recognizes landowners who have worked with our partners to take part in the Ontario government’s 50 Million Tree Program, which will see 50 million trees planted in southern Ontario by 2025.