Creating a Living Oakville
Oakvillegreen is a non-partisan environmental charity that has been helping to protect and restore nature through community education and local action since 2000.
OUR IMPACT
41,620
NATIVE TREES PLANTED
16,179
SQ.FT. POLLINATOR HABITAT CREATED
31,612
STUDENTS INSPIRED
16,752
VOLUNTEERS ENGAGED
PRESENTING
GreenRoots
Using a suite of in-class and outdoor learning activities, Oakvillegreen empowers educators, parents, and community leaders to teach environmental literacy.
UPCOMING
EVENTS
WHAT'S HAPPENING
NEWS & UPDATES
This fall, we were thrilled to complete another mini forest project in Oakville — this one in partnership with Halton Region. With the help of enthusiastic employee volunteers, we planted 357 native trees and shrubs at the Halton Regional Centre, transforming a simple turf area into a thriving pocket of biodiversity. What was once a grassy lawn is now the beginning of a vibrant mini forest designed to mimic the complexity of a natural ecosystem. Each tree and shrub plays a role — from providing food and shelter for birds and insects to improving soil health, capturing carbon, and cooling the surrounding area. This project also offered a wonderful opportunity to highlight the growing importance of green infrastructure in urban environments. Miyawaki forests — the model we follow for these plantings — are believed to grow up to 10 times faster, 30 times denser, and support significantly more biodiversity than conventional forests. Because they establish quickly and can be created even on small plots of land, they provide an inspiring solution for cities working to build climate resilience.
Oakvillegreen’s president, Karen Brock, was awarded a Conservation Halton (CH) Stewardship Award on Saturday, October 4, 2025. The CH Stewardship Awards recognize those individuals in the region who have shown outstanding leadership and commitment to environmental and conservation projects in the Halton Region over many years. The award was presented at an event held by Conservation Halton and the Hamilton Conservation Authority at the newly rehabilitated Area 8 Conservation Park (Milton, ON). Karen has been a dedicated leader and volunteer for over 20 years in Halton. Starting with schoolyard naturalization projects in Oakville, she expanded her scope as the President of the environmental charity Oakvillegreen Conservation Association, which is responsible for planting nearly 45,000 trees in Oakville. Her restoration efforts on her own property and in the Cedar Springs community (Burlington, ON) have made a big contribution to improving the natural environment for all.
It has been a busy spring filled with exciting events and initiatives! We are proud to work alongside many dedicated community partners. We would like to highlight some of the schools in Oakville that have taken on inspiring projects to increase biodiversity and promote environmental awareness. Student volunteers and leaders have actively participated in a variety of environmental initiatives, including pollinator garden stewardship, tree planting and maintenance, seedball making, educational talks, nature walks, and interactive games. We are incredibly grateful to the following schools for participating in environmental initiatives that create positive change, Abbey Park High School, Dr. D.R. Williams Public School, École du Chêne, Forest Trail Public School, St. Mildred’s, Appleby College, MacLachlan College, Garth Webb High School, Munn’s Public School, Oakwood Public School, Sheridan College, Sunningdale Public School, and Gladys Speers Public School . In addition to Oakville schools, we also had the pleasure of collaborating with the incredible youth volunteers from Human Nature Projects Ontario , who represented various schools across the GTA and brought enthusiasm and fresh perspectives to our initiative. Through their involvement in these environmental projects, all participants have contributed to positive change in our local green spaces and overall biodiversity. From engaging in educational talks to participating in garden stewardship, each effort has helped raise environmental awareness and enhance local biodiversity. This increase in biodiversity allows ecosystems to support a greater variety of insects, small mammals, and other wildlife, helping to maintain ecological balance. Promoting environmental awareness is essential for effectively engaging community members in the importance of protecting local biodiversity. Our Bring Monarchs Back (BMB) initiative has generated significant interest, empowering educators and students to learn more about the value of native biodiversity and the impact of their projects.
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