Help protect Vaughan’s pollinators!

Do you know why it’s important to protect pollinators? Birds, bees, butterflies, bats and beetles sustain the environment through pollination and are vital to our ecosystem. In fact, you may be surprised to learn pollinators are responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat. 

In honour of National Pollinator Week – which has been proclaimed by the City of Vaughan from Monday, June 16 to Sunday, June 22 – we’re encouraging you to get involved! 

Here are three things you can do to help protect pollinators and make a positive difference:

Plant a pollinator-friendly garden

Under the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors’ Monarch Pledge, we’ve planted pollinator-friendly gardens at Doctors McLean District Park, Fred Armstrong Parkette, Chatfield District Park, Chancellor District Park, Gallanough Park, Marita Payne Park, Oakbank Pond Park, Ramsay Armitage Park, Vaughan City Hall, Vellore Heritage Square, Veteran’s Park, and York Hill District Park. We’ve also worked with community groups, through the Green Guardians Program, to plant pollinator gardens on publicly accessible private property.

Want to plant your own garden? Claim free seed packets from the City to create pollinator-friendly outdoor spaces at your home. Native and pollinator-friendly species make a beautiful addition to any garden and can also help support busy pollinators as they do their jobs. The seed packets include planting instructions for best results and the following flower seeds: Golden Tickseed, Lanceleaf Tickseed, Blazing Star, Helenium Autumnale, New England Aster and Common Milkweed. 

Request a seed packet by emailing environment@vaughan.ca with your full name and mailing address. Packets are available to Vaughan residents only and will be distributed by mail while supplies last. 

Get your kids involved

Protecting pollinators is not just for adults! Your kids can also join the week-long celebration with free, fun activities designed to help teach them about pollination and why these insects and animals are important. The activities include:

• an outdoor pollinator scavenger hunt (PDF).
• a pollinator crossword puzzle (PDF).
• a Did you know? (PDF) monarch butterfly fact sheet.
• a pollinator word search (PDF).
• an origami butterfly (PDF) worksheet.
• a printable monarch butterfly wings costume (PDF).
• a pasta plant marker (PDF) craft.
• a pollinator-friendly cookbook (PDF).

Join a Citizen Science Program

By participating in a Citizen Science Program, you can help scientists monitor the health and conservation of pollinators! You can collect, analyze and report data such as what pollinators you’re seeing in Vaughan, where they are and more! Visit the Vaughan Pollinator Projects webpage for more information.

Pollinators love trees! This weekend, City staff and community volunteers will mark the occasion by planting 105 trees at Cannes Park (100 Cannes Ave.). These trees will be enjoyed for generations to come, providing oxygen, improving mental and physical health, and offering habitats, food and other resources for pollinators and many animal species. Tree-planting initiatives like this further strengthen the City’s commitment to environmental sustainability and developing our tree canopy, priorities in the Urban Forest Management Plan (PDF). 

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