Community Call
Community Call
A gathering place for the Project Neutral community to connect, gain knowledge and grow.
Join us to learn and to share your knowledge with others.
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Upcoming Community Call
Upcoming Community Call
Thursday, March 20, 2025: Open Session!
This community call will be an open session for discussion of climate feelings, thoughts, ideas or projects that you might want support with. We will have a light agenda and some questions to get you thinking if desired, but the floor will mostly just be open for you to share in community.
Want to lead us in a 3-8 min exercise at the beginning of the community call?
Sign up here to hold your place!
The goal is to warm up participants and ground us as we transition into the call.
The activity could be anything, such as:
An embodied practice (breathwork, movement)
A moment of gratitude
Sharing art (a poem, video, song)
A brief personal reflection
Trivia or another kind of quiz show game
Something else entirely!
Want to stay connected with us?
Want to stay connected with us?
You can join our Discord channel filled with TCTM Team Leads and other Climate Leaders.
You can explore volunteer opportunities by emailing Amy at amy@projectneutral.org.
You can sign up for our Project Neutral newsletter and Talk Climate to Me newsletter.
Previous Community Calls
Previous Community Calls
January 21, 2025 - Discover your Climate "Why"
January 21, 2025 - Discover your Climate "Why"
Have you ever taken the time to reflect on what drives you to act for a better world? Understanding your values and corresponding intentions for acting can be a powerful way to stay motivated on your climate journey.
At our next community call, our Director, Amy Castator, will facilitate an activity to help you discover (or re-discover) your 'climate why.' This reflective process will help you connect with what matters most to you, guiding you to take meaningful actions that align with your values and bring more joy to your efforts.
November 19, 2024 - Creating Community Around Sustainable Living
November 19, 2024 - Creating Community Around Sustainable Living
Community will play a key role in ensuring we're able to protect our planet in a way that is inclusive for all. But what does creating community look like? How do we build a climate crew that we can rely on for mutual support and collective action?
Our next call features guest speaker Conscious Cass, who will take us through why community is so critical for creating a better world, and things she did to build her community around sustainable living. Then you'll brainstorm ideas to build or grow your own network of sustainable living enthusiasts.
October 15, 2024 - Let's get pumped about heat pumps!
October 15, 2024 - Let's get pumped about heat pumps!
Did you know residential heating represents 13% of Canada's emissions, and is the #1 source of emissions in cities like Toronto? For our next community call, we’ll be joined by Paul Sehr, co-founder of Jouleia, who will give us a 101 on heat pumps! He’ll outline why they’re an important climate solution, showcase some real world examples of what’s possible with home electrification and show you how to calculate the impact and estimate the cost of switching to a heat pump in your home.
September 17, 2024 - Screening of The Stories of Decolonization Project (Film Two)
September 17, 2024 - Screening of The Stories of Decolonization Project (Film Two)
The Stories of Decolonization project is a multi-film documentary series about how colonization has impacted people living in Canada and ways we can all work toward decolonization.
In this community call, we'll be watching the second film of the series: (De)Colonial Relations (58 minutes). This film highlights personal stories highlighting how colonialism affects diverse peoples living on lands in so-called Canada. The film also showcases pathways toward solidarity, relationality and decolonization.
After the screening, our facilitator Anna Nieminen will host a discussion about what we took away from the film and gather ideas on how to take action moving forward.
August 2024 - Screening of The Stories of Decolonization Project (Film One)
August 2024 - Screening of The Stories of Decolonization Project (Film One)
The Stories of Decolonization project is a multi-film documentary series about how colonization has impacted people living in Canada and ways we can all work toward decolonization.
In this community call, we watched the first film of the series: Land Dispossession and Settlement (27 minutes). The film shares stories of Indigenous peoples who have longstanding personal and ancestral connections to lands across the nation and of settlers who reflect on their place in the colonial narrative.
After the screening, our facilitator Anna Nieminen hosted a discussion on what we took away from the film and gathered ideas on how to take action to practice decolonization and support reconciliation.
July 2024 - Tips for Better Climate Conversations!
July 2024 - Tips for Better Climate Conversations!
Have you ever tried to talk about climate change, only for your chat to turn into a yelling match, lead to an awkward silence or end in any other unwanted outcome? Well, you're not the only one. Talking climate can be tricky work for all of us.
Our July community call was focused on helping you find more effective ways of talking climate. We asked a few volunteers on the call to share a climate conversation that didn't go so well, and as a group, we collectively worked through alternative dialogues and ways of relating that feel more generative.
June 2024 - A Prescription for Patient and Planetary Health
June 2024 - A Prescription for Patient and Planetary Health
Guest Speaker: Dr. Melissa Lem
Nature prescriptions are being written by healthcare professionals across the planet, from Scotland to Japan to the United States. And rightly so: from improved blood pressure and immune function to reduced stress and ADHD symptoms, the evidence is growing about the health benefits of green time.
In November 2020 the BC Parks Foundation launched PaRx, Canada's national nature prescription program, within British Columbia. Less than two years later it had spread to all ten provinces. Dr. Lem will discuss research highlights from the wide-ranging body of knowledge on nature and health, present an overview of PaRx, including its significant national and international influence, and reveal how prescribing nature can improve both patient and planetary health.
May 2024 - Taking Climate Action For Our Kids
May 2024 - Taking Climate Action For Our Kids
Guest Speaker: Brianne Whyte
Worried about climate change? Scared about what the future will bring for the kids in your life? In this talk we discussed how taking climate action is part of parenting in the 21st Century, and how we can take our anxiety and concern and channel it into action! We made space for sharing our feelings about parenting in the age of climate breakdown and the power of being in community together. Brianne gave practical ideas for taking action and how to level up the action you’re already taking. This talk invites everyone to be part of the climate movement, whether you are just starting to think about taking action, or if you’ve been at it for years. All are welcome! If you’re feeling anxious, unsure, and isolated, this is the talk for you!
About Brianne:
About Brianne:
Brianne is a parent, teacher, and Team Lead for the For Our Kids Toronto team. For Our Kids is a national network of volunteer parents and allies working together to advance climate action at the local, regional, and national level. Brianne was motivated to start the Toronto chapter of For Our Kids in 2020 after the birth of her son made the climate emergency much more urgent. Joining a network of parents who are also working to make the future as climate safe and sustainable as possible enables her to channel anxiety about the future into action!
Check out the Toronto chapter of For Our Kids on Instagram and Facebook: @ForOurKidsTO
April 2024 - Climate Art: Newspapers at Tea Time
April 2024 - Climate Art: Newspapers at Tea Time
Guest Speaker: Angela Van Velzer
During this workshop, we looked at how we can use found objects to create art. According to Angela, "many think of painting with a brush when we hear the word art. There are so many mediums and techniques though that the word encompasses. Collage, is one form of art that can encompass many ideas. Collage has no limits or rules." Using many papers, participants depicted a still life of a tea cup or coffee mug.
About Angela
About Angela
Art has always held a spot in my heart. I studied with a major in Visual Arts and minor in Set Design at York University then completed a diploma in Interior Design at IAOD. All pathways in my life have allowed me to be creative and express myself through a given discipline. Over the past 10 years, I have been fortunate to share my ideas and skills in the visual arts through many venues and organizations in London, Ontario with both my art and teachings.
For me, art comes with play. Practicing my art has allowed me freedom to connect to our world and explore tools and techniques in a variety of ways. My time to create is more limited than before so I strive to try to push my own boundaries. Currently, I am playing with one time use plastics. In my daily practices, I am slowly eliminating the use of single-use plastics. Only when purchasing prepackaged food in grocery stores do I bring bags into our home. That gave me the idea to “paint” by fusing them together and seeing what happens. Some colours and patterns have given way to interesting outcomes. Along with reusing plastics, experimenting with found papers and aluminum cans has me engaged and excited to see all that I can create.
Check out her work:
March 2024 - Climate Photography: Framing Perspectives for Conversation
March 2024 - Climate Photography: Framing Perspectives for Conversation
Guest Speaker: Alison Beaumont
Tuesday, March 19th, 7:30pm (EST)
In this session Alison gave us an overview of using therapeutic photography techniques for mindfulness, and how photos can facilitate sharing thoughts and perspectives on climate. There was an opportunity to participate in a photo activity, taking and sharing our own photos. We saw in real time how photography can help to decode climate emotions, create conversation and build community.
About Alison:
About Alison:
Alison Beaumont is a British settler from West Yorkshire, before moving to Sylix Okanagan Territory, BC, in 2008. She is an artist whose work centers on human and more-than-human connections, manifesting as site-specific projects stemming from environmental interactions. Alison employs media, including photography, video, sound, poetry, and installations, to create immersive experiences. In 2023 she earned a Therapeutic Photography Post-Graduate Certificate from RGU (Scotland), using her expertise to provide photo-based programs, particularly for therapeutic purposes. Her work harnesses artistic potential to inspire, empower, and address climate and reciprocity, fostering a deeper understanding of our environments and collective action.
Learn more about Alison and check out her work:
Instagram & Facebook: @alisonbeaumont.art
Instagram: @climat.ography
February 2024 - Motivational Interviewing
February 2024 - Motivational Interviewing
Guest Speaker: Vince Schutt
Behaviour Change Specialist Vince Schutt shared his expertise on Motivational Interviewing!
All of us in the climate movement know that humans need to change our unsustainable behaviours (and fast!) in order to cut-down global carbon emissions. But how do we do that when so many of us are resistant to change?
Motivational interviewing is a communication technique that can encourage behaviour change. It takes the emphasis off of our OWN reasons for wanting someone else to change their behaviour, and instead explores THEIR intrinsic motivations for wanting to make a change!
Opening Activity: Songwriter Tiiu Strutt shared a song to nurture love for the land ❤️
Follow her here: https://www.instagram.com/landheartsong
January 2024 - Sustainable Investing in a Changing Climate
In January we welcomed Tim Nash of Good Investing to talk about both the financial and the moral imperatives in putting your money where your values are.
Income inequality; housing unaffordability; climate change. There’s a lot of uncertainty in the economy right now. Our current capitalist system isn’t working for most people in the world, and it is certainly not working for the planet itself. Tim meets many people who are frustrated by the state of the global economy, and don’t invest their extra cash because it feels icky and gross. But not investing is a HUGE mistake. Not only do you risk having not enough money in retirement to deal with the mess, but you’re also keeping your money on the sidelines when it could be funding a part of the solution.
About Tim
As the founder of Good Investing, Tim Nash is on a mission to help one million Canadians align their investment portfolio with their values. Tim earned his BA in Economics from Dalhousie University and his Master's in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability from the Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden.
As an expert on responsible investing, sustainability, and impact investing, he is regularly featured in publications such as CBC, BNNBloomberg, and the Globe and Mail.
Follow Tim:
Twitter: @TimNashCFP
Happy Holidays from Project Neutral! The December Community Call will be a year-in-review/ holiday celebration! ☃️
We'll guide you in an activity to reflect on 2023, and look forward to 2024. But don't worry, we won't get too serious! Along with some reflective time, there will be lots of opportunities for festive fun!
November 2023 - The importance of cultivating diversity in sustainability
November 2023 - The importance of cultivating diversity in sustainability
Heather Mak, co-founder of Diversity in Sustainability, a network created to build a more inclusive sector of sustainability and a better world for all, will share findings from the State of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Sustainability Survey as well as recent research from the Inclusion Blueprint Dialogues. The research demonstrates the challenges and the role we each individually and collectively play in creating a sector where everyone can participate.
About Heather
About Heather
Heather Mak is the Principal Advisor of Heather Mak Consulting and the co-founder of the member network, Diversity in Sustainability. Heather has almost 15 years of experience in the private and non-profit sectors on food, retail and consumer goods sustainability issues in North America and Europe.
She has previously held sustainability roles at Deloitte, Tim Hortons, Retail Council of Canada, SustainAbility (now ERM), and Canadian Business for Social Responsibility. Heather has also lectured at the MBA level at the Schulich School of Business, York University, and regularly mentors students and new immigrants who are interested in the field. She holds a B.Com with Distinction in Marketing from McGill University, and an MBA with Honours in Sustainability from Schulich School of Business, York University.
Read more about Diversity in Sustainability at their website: https://www.diversityinsustainability.com/
October 2023 - Your Climate Action Intentions
October 2023 - Your Climate Action Intentions
In October we had Amy Castator as our guest speaker to guide us through a workshop that uncovered our Climate Action Intentions.
A Climate Action Intention is an underlying direction, aim, or purpose that supports a sustainable future and brings great meaning to your life. These intentions are held deep within you and bring you joy when you are fulfilling them. In this workshop, you'll discover your Climate Action Intentions and learn how to access them to help you stay grounded, nurtured and energized on your climate action journey.
About Amy
About Amy
Amy Castator is a long-time climate activist and community builder. She is the co-founder and President of Carbon Conversations TO, and for 8 years, worked at WWF-Canada managing the award-winning Living Planet @ Work program. Amy has supported thousands of employees from workplaces across the country to take action for nature. Amy is now the Founder of Amy Castator Coaching, a life coaching practice that helps people create and move toward a vision for a life they love that integrates purpose, care for our planet, and care for themselves.
Check out the workshop handout and watch the video to learn more!
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