Planting events and other green things to do in the Toronto area

Last updated 09/25/2007 to remove a couple of broken links.

Contents:

1. Schedule
2. Ongoing volunteer programs
3. Walking tours, favourite blogs, other Web sites of interest

1.  SCHEDULE

Sorry guys; this fall, you will probably have to check all the great organizations listed below, under Ongoing volunteer programs, and find your own plantings. My work schedule is keeping me too busy to update this calendar.

2005 archive
2006 archive
2007 archive

2. ONGOING VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS

• ***Search www.planetfriendly.net/volunteer/vol.php to find lots of environmental opportunities, year round.
• The City of Toronto's Web site has a great Green Groups page listing community stewardship groups for the whole GTA
• The Task Force to Bring Back the Don and the City of Toronto need stewards for several sites - see www.toronto.ca/don/summer_volunteers.htm
• The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) has several stewardship and volunteer programs - see www.trca.on.ca/events/stewardship_programs or www.trca.on.ca/Website/TRCA/Website.nsf/Webpage/trca__events__volunteer__volunteers__volunteers?OpenDocument&Language=EN
• Evergreen needs stewards for their sites at Humber Bay, Eglinton Flats, and the Don Valley Brick Works, plus they need community gardeners for several locations in Toronto. See www.evergreen.ca/en/involved/events/ .
• The Toronto Green Community (formerly North Toronto Green Community) welcomes help with their garden: www.ntgc.ca/EPGevents.html.
• The High Park Community Advisory Council does restoration work in High Park (of course) - www.highpark.org/vsp.htm.
• And there's the Friends of Highland Creek (Scarborough) - www.soknacki.com/highland.html
• And Friends of the Rouge Watershed - www.frw.ca/rouge.php?ID=18
• The Friends of Riverdale Farm have a garden club.
• Credit Valley Conservation - has a stewardship program and "one-off" events like plantings - www.creditvalleycons.com/bulletin/volunteer.htm
• Ontario Streams does stream restoration work throughout the summer, predominantly in the Rouge system.
• Volunteer with the Toronto Bird Observatory to band migrating birds. Note that as of 2006 the observatory has moved from the Leslie St. Spit to High Park.
• If you can travel out of town for a weekend or longer, check out Ontario Nature's "Volunteer for Nature" program - www.ontarionature.org/action/schedule.php
• The Toronto Bruce Trail Club and other member clubs of the Bruce Trail Association can always use help with doing trail maintenance (and leading hikes!

3. WALKING TOURS, FAVOURITE BLOGS, WEB SITES OF INTEREST

• Blogs: donwatcher.blogspot.com/ and beechwoodwetland.blogspot.com/
• LEAF (Local Enhancement & Appreciation of Forests) - www.leaftoronto.org/ - get a tree for your back yard. LEAF also publishes an Urban Forest Community Action Kit.
• The Ontario Urban Forest Council - www.oufc.org/ - advances the conservation and maintenance of urban forests across Ontario, supports groups addressing urban forestry issues, and offers workshops.
• City of Toronto
  • Urban Forestry Services - www.toronto.ca/trees/tree_planting.htm - get a tree for your front yard
  • Environment Days - www.city.toronto.on.ca/environment_days/ - get free compost; order a rain barrel; drop off your plastics, household goods, computers, cell phones, and other recyclables
  • The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) runs lots of workshops, hikes, walks, and family events - click on the individual entries in the "Events" column at www.trca.on.ca/Website/TRCA/website.nsf/frmEventsCalendar?OpenForm
  • Other "green links" - www.toronto.ca/greentoronto/greenlinks.htm
• If you would like to receive a green garden consultation, see ntgc.ca/ggv/whatis.html 
• Native plant database, courtesy of Evergreen: www.evergreen.ca/nativeplants/
• Friends of the Don East (FODE) often run walking or planting events.
• Lost River Walks - discover how our city's watersheds link people and nature - www.lostrivers.ca/WalkSchd.htm
• The Toronto section of the Bruce Trail Association runs bus hikes and urban hikes. Scroll to the bottom of www.torontobrucetrailclub.org/ to see hikes that are open to non-members.
• The Toronto Field Naturalists run great walks on weekdays as well as weekends - www.torontofieldnaturalists.org
• The High Park Community Advisory Council runs lots of walks, too.
• Heritage Toronto runs walks every weekend - www.heritagetoronto.org/programs/programs2.show?eventId=46
• The ROM also runs free historical ROMwalks - www.rom.on.ca/programs/rom_travel/index.php
• Green Tourism Toronto provides information on day trips, resources, and fun things to do - greentourism.ca
• Toronto Green Community (formerly the North Toronto Green Community) - www.ntgc.ca/ - community garden, speaker series
• Todmorden Mills Wildflower Preserve - www.hopscotch.ca/tmwp/ - a gem
• The Taylor Massey Project - www.thetmp.org/ - for the enjoyment, protection, and restoration of Taylor Massey Creek and its watershed
• TEA (Toronto Environmental Alliance) - www.torontoenvironment.org/
• RiverSides Stewardship Alliance - www.riversides.org - advocates for, educates in support of and develops programs designed to achieve urban water quality, quantity and flow management for the purposes of ensuring a liveable and sustainable city.
• Kortright Centre - www.kortright.org - has tons of workshops and other activities (also posted at the TRCA's event page)