Celebrating Earth Day: Storytime at Downsview Park

On Sunday, April 27th, we were thrilled to take part in Downsview Park’s Earth Day celebration with a special Time for Change storytime event! 

 At the event, local author Cylita Guy shared her inspiring book Chasing Bats and Tracking Rats with a crowd of curious kids and their families. This narrative non-fiction book with S.T.E.M. and social justice themes and beautiful illustrations proves that cities can be surprisingly wild places—and why understanding urban nature matters. Each child took home their own copy, many even signed by the author!  

Along with the new book, families received fun activity sheets (plus a quick lesson on how to recycle them!) which challenged them to think about the environment in their community and what actions they can take to create positive change. This sheet supported our mission to spark a generation of mini changemakers who understand and care for the environment around them. 

It was so much fun to learn about urban wildlife and all of the creatures and critters that live in Toronto with us. Thank you to Cylita Guy and Downsview Park for making this such a wonderful event! 

First Book Canada and Ashoka Canada work year-round with the support of Swiss Haute Horlogerie manufacturer Audemars Piguet on Time for Change; an initiative working to equip a generation of educators and young people with the skills needed to take action to make sustainable change in communities within Canada and around the world. You can learn more and check out the available resources in English, French, Inuktitut, Plains Cree and Anishinaabemowin (Eastern Ojibwe) here.