Volunteer for Nature

What is Volunteer for Nature? Volunteer for Nature is a conservation volunteering program that provides you with the opportunity to join stewardship professionals in the field as they conduct wildlife surveys, restore and preserve imperiled habitats, and reduce visitor impacts along hiking trails. Since the program’s inception, more than 2,000 conservation-minded individuals from all walks of life have joined us to help complete nearly 170 stewardship projects on Ontario Nature reserves and other conservation lands. Volunteer for Nature works with a diverse group of partner organizations including the Niagara Parks Commission, the Bishops Mills Natural History Centre, Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre, Trent University, and numerous community and field naturalist groups.

Drop Out and Help Us Protect Ontario's Urban Biodiversity!

This year, with generous support from Ontario Power Generation, Ontario Nature will be hosting a suite of public conservation volunteering events focused on urban biodiversity education and protection throughout the province. Come out and learn about Ontario's precious nature while lending a hand with activities such as wildlife surveys, invasive vegetation removal, and native tree and wildflower planting. Everyone is welcome!

For more information about any of these events, please contact the Volunteer for Nature team at vfn@ontarionature.org or 416-444-8419 ext. 222.

Spring Bird Festival

Where: Tommy Thompson Park
When: Saturday May 23^rd, 2009 from 8:00am to 4:00pm
Directions: South of Lakeshore Boulevard, east of the Don Valley Parkway/Gardener Expressway junction. Free parking is available in the park or on Unwin and Leslie Street.

Join the Toronto & Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) and Ontario Nature for a day of birding and invasive species removal at Tommy Thompson Park, located at the foot of Leslie Street just east of downtown Toronto. Whether young or old, an experienced birder or a novice nature lover, the festival has something for everyone! Highlights include guided hikes with TRCA staff, invasive plant removal with Ontario Nature, and bird box building for kids.

Invasive dog-strangling vine will be the focus of the plant removal activities led by Ontario Nature conservation staff. Come out and learn about the effects this aggressive introduced species is having on native plant communities while helping to stem its spread. Two removal sessions will be held, one beginning at 10:00am and the second beginning at 1:00pm. Contact the Volunteer for Nature team at vfn@ontarionature.org or 416-444-8419 ext. 222 to sign up for either or both of these sessions. Onsite registration will also be available on May 23^rd in the Ontario Nature tent.

International Day for Biological Diversity

Where: Rouge Park
When: Sunday May 24^th, 2009 from 9:00am to 3:00pm
Directions: Glen Rouge Campground entrance @ 7450 Kingston Road, Toronto

Celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity in beautiful Rouge Park, Canada's premier urban wilderness park! Come on a guided hike of the Riverside trail, and help remove invasive dog-strangling vine (also known as swallowwort) that is choking out the native vegetation. During the hike, Rouge Park stewardship staff will introduce you to the forest ecosystems that can be found in the park, and provide a lesson on identifying the various tree and plant species that you'll come across. You will also stop at various points along the trail to pull dog-strangling vine, and learn about how its presence is impacting the park's native plant communities.

Two guided hikes will be held during the day, one beginning at 10:00am and the second beginning at 1:00pm. Contact the Volunteer for Nature team at vfn@ontarionature.org or 416-444-8419 ext. 222 to sign up for either or both of the hikes. Onsite registration will also be available on May 24^th in the Ontario Nature tent at the entrance to the Glen Rouge Campground.

Wildflowers in the City

Where: Taylor Creek Park
When: Sunday June 7^th, 2009 from 10:00am to 1:00pm
Directions: Taylor Creek Park is located on Dawes Road, approximately halfway between Danforth Ave. and St. Clair Ave. E. Everyone will meet in the parking lot on the east side of Dawes Road, opposite Park Vista Drive. Free parking is available.

Help Ontario Nature and the Friends of the Don East rejuvenate the Don River by planting native wildflowers in this popular park in east Toronto. You will be improving the health of one of Canada's most populous watersheds by re-establishing some of the native wildflower species that once flourished there. Along with planting species such as the marsh marigold, canada anemone and heart-leaved aster, you will also learn about gardening with native plants and ways that you can attract butterflies, bees and other important pollinators to your backyard. Spots for this fun event are limited, so register now through the Volunteer for Nature Schedule of Events page.

Proudly sponsored by Ontario Power Generation