Our Mission
We’ve protected and restored Toronto’s Don Valley since 2018.
Don't Mess with the Don is an initiative by Don Valley trail users and lovers of the beautiful natural spaces existing in the midst of busy downtown Toronto. DMWTD is a volunteer-led Canadian-registered charity committed to protecting and enhancing the natural heritage of the Don Valley and Toronto ravines.
The Don needs us. And we need the Don.
In the DMWTD community, there is an unspoken commitment to the idea of giving back.
Volunteering is rooted in the deeply-felt desire to do important work and find community. Through volunteering, one gains a powerful sense of self worth and joy. Seeing the changes you make — from a garbage-strewn ravine to a natural setting, or a field once full of invasive species now restored — provides an immense sense of satisfaction.
We are committed to the fundamentals that we believe in:
DMWTD believes in inspiring and unlocking the passion people possess for change. We believe in connecting individuals’ desire for positive transformation with an easily accessible forum for change. Our mission is to bind a volunteer’s belief in environmental change and the great satisfaction that comes with seeing that difference realized.
DMWTD believes that small acts of volunteerism are powerful. Joining them together strengthens our opportunity and impact.
DMWTD believes a volunteer who participates in an organization event should come away with a feeling of joy, a sense of empowerment, and a greater fundamental connection to their community and planet.
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge the land we live and work on is the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit and the Williams Treaties signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands.