Celebrate Flight of the Monarch Day with us!

Did you know Monarch butterflies are responsible for pollinating a third of the food we eat? These iconic pollinators travel thousands of kilometres from Canada to central Mexico each year in August, making one of the world’s most remarkable insect migrations.

To celebrate Flight of the Monarch Day on Sunday, Aug. 23, the City of Vaughan’s Parks, Forestry and Horticulture Operations team is inviting residents to visit a Vaughan Public Libraries (VPL) branch and contribute to a community mural highlighting the importance of these iconic pollinators and their habitats. You can add an origami butterfly at any location except Kleinburg Library. You’ll be able to view all the complete murals at Civic Centre Resource Library (2191 Major Mackenzie Dr.) from Tuesday, Sept. 8 to Tuesday, Sept. 29.

There are many ways you can support pollinators and make a positive difference:

Plant a pollinator-friendly garden

Provide food and shelter for bees, butterflies and other important pollinators by planting native flowers, including milkweed. Despite its name, milkweed is not a weed! These beautiful wildflowers are the only source of food for Monarch caterpillars, also providing their shelter, breeding habitats and resting stops during migration. 

Sign up for a Community Tree Planting event 

Pollinators love trees! The City’s Community Tree Planting program brings residents, community groups and local organizations together to plant trees in Vaughan’s greenspaces. By growing our urban forest together, the program helps create a healthier, more sustainable environment for generations to come. Visit the program webpage for details about our upcoming tree planting events on Saturday, Sept. 19 at Langstaff Park (2001 Langstaff Rd.) and Saturday, Oct. 3 at McClure Meadows Park (8921 Martin Grove Rd.).

Apply for the Community Planting Fund

This initiative empowers residents and community organizations to create and enhance local greenspaces through projects such as pollinator gardens, rain gardens and Indigenous education gardens. By funding community-led planting initiatives, the program supports biodiversity, climate resilience and environmental stewardship while helping build a greener, healthier Vaughan. Applications for 2027 will open in January.

How the City supports pollinators: 

• The City has established pollinator-friendly gardens at locations such as Vaughan City Hall, Vellore Heritage Square, Veterans Park, Oakbank Pond Park, Chancellor District Park and Doctors McLean District Park. These gardens contain native plants that provide food and habitat for many pollinators.

• Vaughan provides residents with free packets of native, pollinator-friendly seeds, including species such as Common Milkweed, New England Aster and Blazing Star, to encourage pollinator habitat creation at home. Visit any VPL branch during August to pick up a pack while supplies last, or visit the Green Guardians booth at the next City event!

Learn more about environmental sustainability initiatives in Vaughan and get involved at vaughan.ca/GreenGuardians. 

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