Preserving Nature

Trees and natural areas such as wetlands, ravines and woodlands, create a healthy, vibrant community. They provide recreational opportunities and contribute to the well-being of the surrounding community, while attracting tourism and improving the local economy. Natural areas provide habitat, flood protection, cleaner air and water, reduce noise, and limit energy use.

Preservation

Disrupting the delicate balance within these natural areas has negative impacts so it is important that we do all we can to protect these spaces. You can do your part in protecting our trees, wetlands, ravines, woodlands and natural areas by following these guidelines:

• comply with the City Tree By-Law and Parks By-Law 
• do not dump garbage, grass clippings or sod, yard/garden waste, construction debris or dirt in parks, ravines, or forests
• pick up after your pets
• take your litter home with you or place it in garbage cans if available
• plant only native trees and shrubs on your property to limit the impact of invasive species
• stay on designated trails to limit the disturbance to sensitive areas and/or wildlife
• dispose of your hazardous waste properly not down the drain
• get involved in a local stewardship programs or groups
• do not encroach onto City property

Naturalization

Naturalization is an alternative landscape maintenance technique for maintaining our parks and open space. Naturalizing areas allows the natural vegetation and habitats to flourish more than ornamental, manicured areas. By maintaining selected areas of the landscape through naturalization, we can decrease the need for frequent watering and mowing.

Natural areas

In addition to our many parks and green spaces, the City is home to a number of valuable natural areas.

Stewardship and organizations

The City works with many volunteer groups and organizations like Friends of Second Marsh, Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority, Ducks Unlimited and Durham Region Field Naturalists. In addition, we hold a number of stewardship events such as tree planting and litter clean up events.