Meritorious Service Cross
Awarded on: 2018-04-04
Invested on: 2018-11-05
Kahlil Baker, M.S.C.
Bowen Island, British Columbia
Samuel Gervais, M.S.C.
Laura Howard, M.S.C.
Brooke van Mossel-Forrester, M.S.C.
Montréal, Quebec
Kahlil Baker, Samuel Gervais, Laura Howard and Brooke van Mossel-Forrester founded Taking Root, a not for profit organization that uses reforestation to reduce the impact of climate change, restore ecosystems and promote economic development among farmers in Nicaragua. By working to reforest more than 1 500 hectares, they have helped to create thousands of jobs and improved conditions in nearly 70 local communities, while offsetting carbon emissions equivalent to the annual emissions of more than 90 000 cars.