Your green space can help super heroes!

If native species could talk they’d have some very long stories to tell! Native plant and and pollinator species have evolved over the ages to maintain a delicate balance within our ecosystem. They are the humble workers that help keep whole ecosystems strong and resilient despite being threatened by invasive species, diseases, pesticides and habitat loss and extreme weather to name a few challenges. Urban environments are especially challenging because the green area that does exist is so disconnected.

The good news is that City of Toronto is offering grants of up to $5,000 to help protect native species. Through the PollinateTO Grants, the City supports community-led projects that will convert a space into a new pollinator garden or expand an existing garden by adding native pollinator-friendly plants. Eligible PollinateTO projects must involve the community, directly result in the creation of pollinator habitat in Toronto that is accessible to the public and include an educational component to inform others about pollinator stewardship.

Communities like Liberty Village also have an opportunity to come together to create “pollinator corridors,” a sort of lane of the specific plants and food that allows native bees, butterflies, and other pollinators to cover more ground and travel safely. Pollinator corridors are one type of nature based solution to conserve and protect biodiversity. If this sounds like a project that interests you, let’s keep in touch!

For more information on what the city is doing, you can check out Toronto’s Pollinator Protection Strategy  and Biodiversity Strategy .