Our Programs for 2011:
Downsview Dells Community Environmental Programs
Funded by: Live Green Community Investment Program of Toronto (Live Green)
Project time frame: 2010 - 2011
Project Location:
Downsview Dells Park area (Sheppard Ave between Jane St. & Keele St.)
map
Our proposal is to deliver active, on-the-ground, environmental programs in the communities surrounding Downsview Dells Park in Toronto through 2011 and beyond. We intend to work with local schools, community groups, and the general community at large to undertake a range of environmentally based activities and education programs which include:
- Tree planting,
- Planting native wildflower gardens,
- Garbage clean-ups (with re-cycling of metals and plastics),
- Construction & installation of bird boxes and bat houses,
- Community environment walks,
- Outdoor environmental educational programs.
Downsview Dells and other nearby parks (Heathrow Park) have been specifically identified in the 2008 Humber Watershed Management Plan developed by TRCA as an "at need" area for tree planting, habitat restoration and wetland restoration as well as other projects.
The specific targets for this project include:
- Planting 1,250 trees and shrubs,
- Planting 2,000 native wildlfowers and grasses,
- Installing 75 new bird boxes,
- Cleaning up to 4,000 kg of trash,
- Conducting 3 nature walks with community members as well as other environmental information sessions.
Return to Current Projects Table of Contents
Riparian & Steep Slope Planting Program
Supported by: Community Program for Storm Water Management
(CPSWM)
Project time frame: 2011
This project includes a series of community and school tree planting events to establish 1,850 new plants at 2 locations that would significantly reduce local surface stormwater flow as well as increase urban canopy cover, re-establish native species and habitat, and restore natural water cycle components.
The 2 sites are:
1. Westlake Park in Mount Dennis and
2. Driftwood Park near Jane & Finch.
Westlake Park is a steep slope planting site. Planting trees on this hillside will intercept and use rainfall, increase canopy cover and provide new native species habitat. The Mount Dennis community has previously planted more then 600 trees and shrubs on this site. (Mount Dennis Community website)
The project in Driftwood Park will be a riparian planting along a small tributary of the Black Creek known as Driftwood creek. Over the past 2 years the local community has planted over 1000 trees in the area and installed 25 bird boxes.
SUMMARY OF DELIVERABLES:
- 1,850 woody plants established on two sites on the Black Creek,
- 200-300 meters of riparian zone established,
- 2 acres of grassed slope planted with trees.
Return to Current Projects Table of Contents
Downsview Dells Community: An Action Program for Stormwater Control
Supported by: EcoAction (EcoAction)
Project time frame: 2010 to end of March, 2012.
Objectives of the project:
Variable stormwater flow is the most significant environmental problem within the Black Creek watershed and the root cause of many follow on problems such as erosion, siltation, poor water quality, loss of habitat (both aquatic and terrestrial), and degradation of habitat and property damage.
Damages to the environmental, local infrastructure and to public and private property will continue to occur within the Black Creek watershed as long as stormwater flow is uncontrolled. There is also an increasing level of public danger to individuals. The problem has steadily worsened over time as almost all available land in the City of Toronto and in the City of Vaughan continues to be developed.
This proposed series of projects is a combination of community education and community participation in public events aimed at reducing stormwater flow directly into the Black Creek.
Downsview Dells Park and the nearby communities has been selected as the target project area because it is central to the Black Creek watershed and because it is representative of so many other areas along the creek in terms of the existing problems and the potential to successfully apply multiple remedies.
Education programs will focus on identifying and highlighting the general problem of Stormwater to the community at large through a series of open house events, door-to-door campaigns, publication distribution and fun, outdoor 'nature' walks. By highlighting the problems and by providing information on local actions property owners can take to assist, we aim to increase participation in programs such as downspout diversions, property landscaping and large tree planting for increased canopy cover.
Community Participation projects will focus on projects to establish several small wetlands and/or infiltration buffers in specific locations within local city parks that would intercept stormwater flow from storm-sewer outfalls and local parking lot surfaces prior to entry into the primary Black Creek waterway. Community participation will include trash clean-ups in existing wetlands and terrestrial and aquatic plantings around newly constructed and existing green swales, infiltration strips and wetlands.
Return to Current Projects Table of Contents