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MaryGold Bhandari, Operations & Administration Coordinator

MaryGold BhandariStudent at Glendon College, York University

Born in the mountainous country of Nepal, MaryGold has a deep rooted connection with the earth and its elements. Throughout her youth, she spent a lot of time traveling back and forth between Canada and Nepal where she felt the joys of being amongst the mountains and eating lush organic vegetables yet also witnessed how climate change devastated local communities and saw remote areas lacking the basic resources. Despite being in the corporate retail industry for over a decade, MaryGold always yearned to do more to give back to others and aspired into transitioning back into her field of study, International Development.

Collectively with Iron and Earth, MaryGold is part of a team dedicated to the importance of long-lasting sustainability and providing communities with access to education and the tools necessary for them to be self-sufficient for generations to come whilst respecting their culture, traditions, and values.

Having seen the vast difference between those who have too much yet struggle to find happiness and those who have so little yet have the biggest smiles, MaryGold believes everyone can pay it forward and longs for a world where everyone is kind to one another and respectful to their environment.

Iron & Earth was founded and operates on Indigenous land within Treaty Six Territory and Métis Region 4 in amiskwaciy-wâskahikan (in Nehiyawewin/Cree), so-called Edmonton. The home of many Indigenous Peoples including the Nehiyawak/Cree, Tsuut’ina, Niitsitapi/Blackfoot, Métis, Nakota Sioux, Haudenosaunee/Iroquois, Dene Suliné, Anishinaabe/Ojibway/Saulteaux, and the Inuk/Inuit.

We pay our respects to all Indigenous Peoples of this land. Through their spiritual and practical relationships with the land, a rich heritage for our learning and our life as a community has been created and maintained. We recognize that the transition to a low-carbon future must be led by Indigenous Peoples and that there will be no justice unless we acknowledge and repair our relationship with the land.

We are committed to responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action and upholding the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and acknowledge that we are always learning and unlearning practices that minimize harm and lead to the development of trust between us and Indigenous Peoples across Nations and urban centers.