My professional background is in sports sponsorship and marketing, but four years ago I switched to fundraising for the environment at another non-profit organization. As a board member for LEAF, I hope to contribute to revenue growth and strategic partnership opportunities to help the organization achieve its goals of enhancing the urban forest. Selfishly, I also hope to learn more about trees and spend more time around them. Research tells us the health benefits of spending time in nature include reduced stress and anxiety, but I don’t really need research to tell me about the feeling of calm and serenity that spending time in a tree filled park gives me.
Growing up in rural Ontario and now living in urban Toronto, I understand the importance of green space in the city. I believe it is equally as important to protect and grow our natural resources inside the city as it is outside of it. I believe the work that LEAF does, through the protection and improvement of Toronto’s urban forest as well as relevant education and training, is crucial to preserving nature in our city and I look forward to contributing to this effort. And of course, learning more about those native and invasive species.
Kathrin Majic is a new LEAF board member and the Manager, Leadership Giving at the David Suzuki Foundation. She lives in the High Park area where she can regularly be seen appreciating the local trees.