These in-their-own-words pieces are told to Patricia Lane and co-edited with input from the interviewee for the purpose of brevity.

Danielle Romaine is creating a beautifully flowered world that buzzes with life. The 27-year-old from Montreal, Que., volunteers with Let’s Plant, a project of Sierra Club Canada in partnership with Dutchman’s Gold, an Ontario-based honey and beehive wellness company, to help plant 10 million wildflowers and plant seeds across Canada. In 2025, she ensured 500,000 seeds were planted in Quebec.

Tell us about this project.

A portion of every Dutchman’s Gold purchase goes to buy seeds and contribute to Let’s Plant. We give the seeds away and educate people about how to germinate and plant them in whatever space they have available. We staff tables at community events, go on hikes and trail walks to spread seeds, bring them to elementary school classrooms, provide them to not-for-profits to give to their supporters and work with apiaries to grow wildflower farms for their bees.

Montreal’s insectarium donated specimen vials that hold these tiny seeds well. We also use plain manila envelopes or even salt and pepper shakers! An eighth of a teaspoon of seeds will flower on a metre of land and, of course, they are quite hardy and will grow in lots of places without first-rate soil and even in cracks in the sidewalk.

There are 3,600 species of the pollinators essential to sustaining life in North America. Unfortunately, habitat loss means a third of our native bees are endangered and two of five other pollinators, like butterflies, are also at risk. Let’s Plant aims to empower everyone to restore lost pollinator habitats and to track future growth and development through INaturalist, a citizen science program.

**How did you get into this work? **

Danielle Romaine is creating a beautifully flowered world that buzzes with life. The 27-year-old from Montreal, Que., volunteers with Let’s Plant, a project of Sierra Club Canada in partnership with Dutchman’s Gold.

I approached Sierra Club to see if there was a fit for me, and their volunteer coordinator asked if I would be willing to take leadership in Quebec. I jumped at the chance.

What else are you doing?

I am passionate about making sure everyone has a chance to make a difference, so I am taking leadership in reinvigorating Sierra Youth. We are looking for volunteers for everything from social media and communications help to community outreach and policy development. Come join us!

One of our first projects will be to explore the possibility of re-starting an older initiative to provide university and college students with fresh, locally-grown food on campus.

Danielle Romaine planting seeds before the first frost. Photo by: Fabio Almeida

How did you get interested?

I have always been fascinated by insects. After I finished school, I began painting them to give me a closer look and developed a board game with insects as a main theme. But I know the kinds of changes we need will only come if we work collectively. I found a home with this nationwide project at Sierra Club Canada.

What makes this hard?

My generation is used to immediate feedback. But working on climate change and environmental protection is a long game. I am having to learn to be patient and see small steps as progress.

I would like to make a career in this area, but it is challenging. I am starting to see that I can be 100 per cent committed even if my bread and butter comes from a different enterprise. I can bring my values with me wherever I go.

How did the way you were raised affect you?

I grew up in a small town on the edge of a forest, river and all the beings that make that ecosystem thrive. Without that childhood, I might see a slug as gross or slimy and a fish just something to catch or eat. My parents helped me to see the beauty in fish scales and the perfect synchronicity of the way these creatures create their homes together.

What keeps you awake at night?

I worry about how I could be making a bigger impact faster. It feels urgent.

**What gives you hope? **

The volunteers who come forward of all ages and all walks of life, who are there to make a difference for the common good.

What do you see if we get this right?

We are aware of our connections to each other and all beings. That has helped us develop an ethic of sharing resources and caring for our communities.

What would you like to say to other young people?

Sierra Youth welcomes your ideas and is here to support you. And to people of all ages, I would say: Set big goals and take one step at a time.