Kevin Whalen, Environmentalist, Founder of Enviromarking

“Trees and the urban forest are important to me because they are important to everyone.”

Photographs: Kevin Whalen

Q.1. When did you first become interested in trees? 

I have always been interested in plants and nature for the past decade. Every year I do all of the gardening at my parent’s house, and there is something truly special about digging my hands in the dirt. It was natural that my interest in trees would soon follow. I think my interest in trees really grew from slowly discovering just how amazing trees are and what they can do for not just the environment, but for our own health as well. 

Q.2. Do you have any particular childhood memories related to spending time around trees? If so, please describe. 

When I was much younger, our yearly family vacations would be to this little cottage resort in Prince Edward County, at the time it was called York Farms Cottages. There were two massive willow trees in front of the cottage my family would stay in. I can remember eating dinners at the picnic table under their spacious shade, playing on the tire swing, and watching the sunset cast its vibrant arrays of light on the tallest branches, which made the trees look as though they were radiating their own light.

Q.3. You started an environmentally friendly marketing agency, Enviromarketing. What drew you to this work and how does it relate to your values and interests? 

I started my company, Enviromarketing, because I am an environmentalist. When I finished school in 2017, I started volunteering at Ecology Ottawa to help with their tree planting initiative. Through this volunteer work, I was lucky enough to connect with people in the solar energy industry, and after working in the solar world for more than two years I wanted to go off on my own because I believe I have a unique skill set that can benefit multiple environmental businesses and have a bigger impact on the environment than just through one company.

Environmental businesses and enterprises do a fantastic job at being environmentally friendly, but in many cases, communication is not where it can be to have a bigger impact. With the services I offer which include website design, social media, and photography/videography services, my clients are getting the marketing that they need from an environmentalist who actually cares about the work and services they offer more than the average agency. They are getting an enviromarketer, hence the name, Enviromarketing. 

4. Your company plants trees on behalf of its clients. Can you explain how this works and where the trees are planted? 

Enviromarketing partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation, one of the most reputable non-profits in the world. For every 1USD donated they are able to plant and maintain one tree in a forest somewhere in North America. Thanks to my partners and clients, I am able to donate a portion of the revenue Enviromarketing earns to the Foundation, and in 2020, Enviromarketing was able to plant more than 500 trees through this partnership.

5. Why are trees and the urban forest important to you? 

Trees and the urban forest are important to me because they are important to everyone. They prevent flooding, provide much-needed shade during hot summer days, help reduce CO2 levels in major downtown areas, and of course, provide us with some greenery to look at. We need trees in urban areas a lot more than we realize.

6. Can you describe your interest in nature photography?

Well before I was into real photography, I loved photographing things in nature with my old phone back in the day. I remember taking literally hundreds of photos of nature around my parent’s cottage when I was younger because everything looked so beautiful. That sparked my interest in nature photography, of course, but then years later, when I got into photography for real, photographing nature was taken to a whole new level. I also enjoy it because it is the most challenging type of photography. Framing is more difficult because you often have very little control over the scenery. You need to travel through some tough terrain to get even a decent shot. And the lighting is hard to get right because, unlike being in a studio, you don’t have control over the position of the sun, trees, and clouds. Overall I enjoy nature photography because I love being outdoors, and I love the challenge of getting the perfect picture.

7. What message would you like to share with others on the value of trees? Why should people care about the urban forest? 

Simply that there are selfish reasons to care for and value trees. They prevent flooding, provide oxygen, take in CO2, provide shade, offer spectacular views of nature, treat out soil, the list goes on and on. Most importantly, planting and maintaining trees and the urban forest allows us to best fight climate change. Most of a tree’s mass comes from absorbing CO2 right from the atmosphere, and that is what we need to combat climate change in the most effective way possible.

8. Finally, do you have a favourite tree in Ottawa? If so, where is it, and why is it your choice?

I personally don’t have a favourite tree, but I do have a favourite place to go and be with nature; Green’s Creek. I love heading there any time of the year with my camera or drone to get some amazing photos of the trees or just to be around the natural structures that provide us with opportunities we often take for granted.

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