The Work So Far
GROUNDWORK
Every strong movement begins with a seed.
With roots firmly planted, we’re building momentum.
Small seeds of care and effort grow into powerful momentum.
The Story Behind the Numbers
The stats show what we’ve achieved so far, but the real story is in the milestones: the roots we’ve planted, the pilots we’ve tested, and the foundation we’re building for what comes next.
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Our journey so far
Building roots, testing ideas, and laying the groundwork for what’s next.
2019 – 2020
2020: Launching ACE
ACE launched with support from the Canadian Association for Biological Anthropologists. Within two years, ACE grew into a global community of 300+ anthropologists across 20+ countries. Participant feedback shows 96% rated ACE as ‘very valuable’ or higher.
2020 – 2022
2020-2022: Growing Virtual Visits
Virtual Visits launched during COVID. To date Virtual Visits has reached over 5,000 participants across 128 schools in Ontario, with
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96% of teachers rated visits as “extremely valuable.”
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88% of students (Grades 9–12) rated them as “deeply valuable.”
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81% of visits led to repeat bookings.
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Raised $15,000 to support our programs.
2023 - 2024
2023–2024: National CSRF Grant
Awarded a $170,000 Community Services Recovery Fund grant by the Government of Canada — a one-time national investment to help non-profits modernize and strengthen their capacity. Out of 15,000 applicants, only 5,500 were funded, and we were chosen as a nationally funded recipient.
This grant allowed us to:
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Expand our team and strengthen organizational capacity
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Build 26 Building Blocks for the PowerSeekers curriculum
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Beta-test the PowerSeekers curriculum
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Lay the foundation for growth into a scalable global program
2023: Advancing Scientific Capacity
Through a dedicated wage funding grant, we were able to hire a PhD student in anthropology, specializing in conservation with expertise in GIS. Their work mapped deforestation across Southeast Asia to identify strongholds for gibbon habitat restoration — laying the groundwork for our conservation efforts under Gibbon Guardians.
2023: Preparing for Regional Partnerships
A second wage funding grant allowed us to hire a researcher to map potential partnerships across Southeast Asia based on the GIS data. This work identified key stakeholders in priority regions and also contributed to building the PowerShift framework — the model that guides PowerSeekers Local Action Crews in leading on-the-ground work.
2024
2024: Testing & Refining PowerSeekers
PowerSeekers beta tested with 100 youth signed up in Canada (with a few international participants). 8 building blocks piloted across the year, feedback refined program.
2024: First Restoration Work
First on-the-ground restoration: 150 native trees planted for urban canopy expansion (0.3 hectares, Carolinian Forest).
2024: Building Advocacy Momentum
Launched Primate Protectors, joined Social Media Coalition Against Animal Cruelty + Asia for Animals Coalition, began Fair Forest campaign with Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), and hosted our first youth-led workshop (Speak Up, Stand Out).
2025
2024–2025: Strengthening Capacity for Restoration
Secured United Nations Association in Canada (CGC-STIP) funding for 3 positions to help plan and implement tree planting projects. These roles supported our Restoration Crews, advanced GIS mapping of our Carolinian Forest and Pacific Northwest hotspot hubs, contributed to stakeholder-building efforts, and developed our PowerShift Care Cycle framework — the model that now guides how we run and implement events for members.
2025: Designing the Path Forward
Focused on developing our global restoration strategy for six biodiversity hotspots — bringing together lessons from PowerSeekers, restoration pilots, and Southeast Asia groundwork to scale responsibly from Canada to the world.
2025: Preparing to Launch PowerSeekers
Behind the scenes, we integrated everything learned from PowerSeekers beta into the program’s official launch plan.
Behind the Work
Our progress so far didn’t happen by accident.
We built it on anthropology, biology, psychology, and human behaviour science.
We consulted experts, engaged youth in needs assessments, and invested in testing every idea before launching it at scale.
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Our founder brings 20+ years of teaching, coaching, and international experience — grounding our work in both heart and science.
Along the way, we’ve been strengthened by staff and volunteers from across Canada (PEI, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia), the United States (Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina), and beyond (Malaysia, Mexico, Colombia, Austria, Australia, England).
What's next?
We’ve planted the seeds, tested the programs, and proven the demand. Now we’re ready to take the next step with a growing community, new partnerships, expanding forests, and rising voices.
With roots planted firmly in the ground, we’re reaching toward the sky — growing a movement that connects care to action, and action to impact.
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