NEWS AND UPDATES

Our Impact Your Support  This year, we were thrilled to engage our community through a wide range of hands-on environmental programs. More than 1200 volunteers participated in stewardship activities, and 950 students joined us for Biodiversity Discovery Walks, Bring Monarchs Back and Maples and Oaks programs, as well as in various stewardship events, each one designed to spark curiosity, connection, and a deeper understanding of the natural world. Our Green Connections for Adults 55+ program also continued to flourish, welcoming over 400 participants to nature walks, forest bathing sessions, nature art workshops, and tree-planting experiences. These moments of learning, creativity, and reflection helped build a strong and supportive community of nature lovers. We hit a record high for tree planting this year, with community members helping to plant 3,034 native trees that support healthier ecosystems and greener neighbourhoods. Stewardship teams worked just as hard on the ground, removing 117 bags of invasive plants to make room for native species to thrive.

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. 

By Deborah Everest-Hill

Raising Awareness About Local Insects, One Native Seed at a Time

By collectively planting more milkweed (our goal is 200 plants), we can restore pollinator habitats in our local area, support this extraordinary species, and spread awareness about the importance of conservation efforts.

The focus of the initiative is to educate and empower the community to continue enhancing existing pollinator pathways and creating habitat for species-at-risk such as the Monarch Butterfly. Oakvillegreen is going to be taking hands-on action this year with the help of our community, to restore Monarch habitat and support this species.

Happy holidays! In Oakville, we’ve had a bit of snow and chilly weather over this season but you may be wondering where our pollinator friends go during the winter. Unlike us, they don’t have fireplaces or warm homes to face the cold and must go to greater lengths to survive the season.