Gail Lawlor - "I share my love of drought-tolerant and native gardening with kids at Rosebank Road Public School. The primary students plant annuals and the older ones help with its maintenance. The garden is used by a wide variety of classes.”

"I love a sense of community so I organize community events to get to know more people around me. I believe that if you feel a part of your community you show respect for your community − you drive the speed limit, you maintain your property, you don't litter, you speak to your neighbours, you reach out and help others and, most important, your children learn that respect as well."

"Since 1998, I’ve hosted an annual Easter Egg Hunt with a food donation drive for over 70 families. We also host or help others host neighbourhood summer parties, and midwinter potluck dinners, evening strolls to our local pubs, a women’s discussion group, and clothing and cookware parties, with the proceeds given to the hospital or Herizon House."

For our school's garden, I helped produce curriculum activities so the garden is used by a wide variety of teachers for math, science, and art. On Rosebank's 50th anniversary we created an outdoor shaded classroom. The teacher sits on a wooden log bench and the kids sit in a grassy area and sing and read and do art under the shade of a maple tree.

"I work with Durham Sustain Ability (DSA) and the Durham Conservation Centre (DCC). DCC started the first curbside recycling program in Pickering in 1983. We retrofitted the Commercial House in Brougham as our offices. DSA still operates from this location. We have developed three educational tools that are now being updated: the Durham Region State of the Environment Poster Map, the Durham Region Environmental Resource Directory; and Your Household Guide to Waste Management in Durham Region.”