Pollinator Projects

Vaughan residents can claim a pollinator-friendly seed packet by emailing environment@vaughan.ca with your full name and mailing address*. The packets contain Golden Tickseed, Lanceleaf Tickseed, Blazing Star, Helenium autumnale, New England Aster, and Common Milkweed. All species, except Golden Tickseed, are perennials. One packet can sow approximately 4 square metres, however the seeds can be spread in smaller, crowded wildflower gardens/planters and still thrive.

General instructions: Sow native wildflower seeds into a prepared seedbed from early May through mid-June or in the fall to late October. Full sun is best. Wildflowers can grow 2 to 4 feet tall. Before sowing seeds, remove weeds by hand and loosen soil to 2.5 cm (1″) depth with a stiff rake, cultivator or hoe. Wildflowers germinate and establish themselves much better when planted into a bed of well drained loose soil. Scatter the seeds and let mother nature do the rest. Water if conditions are dry and continue to water during the first year. Once established the flowers should survive on rainwater. Provide irrigation in drought-like conditions.

*Personal information is collected under the legal authority of the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001 c.25, as amended. This information will be used for the administration of this contest (to issue pollinator seed packets) and will become a part of Policy Planning and Special Programs files, where applicable. Questions regarding this collection may be directed to Policy Planning and Special Programs, City of Vaughan, 2141 Major Mackenzie Drive, Vaughan, Ontario L6A 1T1, 905-832-2281.

General guidelines for building a pollinator garden:

• Find a location that contains all the essential elements: sun, water and soil.

• Choose a variety of native plant species with a range of shape, size and flower season. Native plants are best adapted to our local area.

• Leave areas of bare ground, wild grasses, dead wood and leaf litter for bees and insects. Adult pollinators tend to thrive on flower nectar however larva enjoy plant leaves.

We know that finding the right plants can be confusing, below are examples of native plants that attract pollinators. This is not a full list. More species with detailed information can be found in the Pollinator Partnership’s Guide, and The Canadian Wildlife Federation has a native plant encyclopedia with more information on native plant species.

Seasonal Maintenance Checklist:

Spring:

• Wait until temperatures are consistently warm (around 15 degrees Celsius and above) before you clean up your garden. Pollinators overwinter inside leaves, stems and twigs and cleaning these up too early could indirectly harm the pollinators!
• Remove large clumps of leaves in your garden. Add this material to a composter if you have one.
• Add a fresh layer of mulch or compost to garden.
• Plant new materials and water during dry periods.
• Cut back dead material to the ground or leave it as is. Do not remove if there are birds’ nests, caterpillars or chrysalis.

Summer:

• Remove weeds and replenish mulch.
• Monitor the weather and be sure to water the garden during dry periods.
• Monitor and treat garden for pests*.
• Prune or thin any plants which are growing fast to promote good circulation

Fall

• Divide perennials which have outgrown their space.
• Add 5-8cm of mulch.
• Leave any dead matter or leaf material where possible.
• Remove any plants that did not grow.
• Plant trees or shrubs.

Winter

• Prune shrubs and small trees.
• Make plans for spring planting.

*Follow these tips for natural pest and weed control:

• Mulch – controls weeds, improves soil and moisture, protects plant roots
• Hand pull weeds from the root
• Smother large areas of weeds with heavy duty plastic bags or landscape fabric (early fall and left until spring)
• Select plants that are native to your local area and include a variety
• Avoid overcrowding plants
• Examine plant leaves frequently - removing the effected leaves from a plant can stop any insect or disease damage.
• Remember that certain ‘weeds’ are beneficial to pollinators, such as the common milkweed or golden rod.

If you are a true butterfly fan, you can choose to create a garden specifically designed for our butterfly friends. General guidelines for building a butterfly garden include:

• Choose a sunny, sheltered location. Cold-blooded butterflies need warm temperatures to fly and feed. Place a flat rock in a sunny area as a basking spot for butterflies to warm themselves on.
• Include host plants for larval (caterpillar) and bright, fragrant flowers for adult butterflies. Make sure you are planting native species.
• Create “mud puddles” (an area of exposed soil) in the garden. Butterflies use these as a source of water and nutrients.
• Avoid chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Butterflies and caterpillars are very sensitive to these products.

All the plant species listed under a pollinator garden attract butterflies, but for a longer list and more details about butterflies check out the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority’s Butterfly Garden Pamphlet (PDF).

If you are interested in creating specific habitat for bees, follow these general guidelines:

• Leave dead stems on plants and holes in trees for solitary bees to nest in or hide during storms.
• Remove invasive plants by hand, but keep in mind that Dandelions and clover are sources of nutrition for bees
• Leave a patch of bare, sunny ground so bees can dig into the soil. Mud puddles provide a source of hydration and habitat building material for solitary bees
• Avoid chemical pesticides and fertilizers
• Plant a mix of native species of different heights, colours and shapes. Bees are generally attracted to white, yellow, blue and purple flowers.

Did you know that bees love trees? Trees and shrubs flower and can produce hundreds of pollen filled flowers on just one plant and provide habitat for solitary bees and nesting areas for bumble bees. Trees that flower in the early spring give bees an early boost of pollen and nectar before perennials start to flower. To find out which trees bees love best, check out LEAF's bee factsheet.

By participating in a citizen science program, also called community science program, you can help scientists monitor the health and conservation of pollinators. You can collect, analyze and report data such as what pollinators you’re seeing in Vaughan, where they are and more. 

Below are some examples of citizen science programs you can participate in. Please note, you may be asked to create an account to submit data. Currently, the City of Vaughan is not affiliated with any of these programs.

1. Bumblebee Watch

   By taking pictures of bumble bees and submitting them online, you can help researchers determine the status and conservation needs of bumble bees. You will learn about bumble bees and connect with other community scientists. 

    

   Wildlife Preservation Canada (WPC), co-creators of Bumblebee Watch, is a national organization with a mission to save animal species at risk from extinction in Canada. Every spring, field biologists collect wild yellow-banded bumble bee queens for their Bumble Bee Recovery Program. Submitting observations of these bees to Bumblebee Watch provides new locations for targeting spring queen collection. WPC is undertaking a multi-species recovery effort to save native, pollinating butterfly and bee species from extinction.

2. Journey North

   Journey North relies on the community to help track wildlife migration and seasonal change. Citizens are encouraged to submit observations of monarch butterflies and a variety of bird species.

3. David Suzuki Butterflyway Project

   This project asks volunteers to grow habitat for bees and butterflies. The David Suzuki Foundation recruits and trains Butterfly Rangers, who then connect with neighbours to create gardens in residential yards, school grounds, boulevards and parks. In order to obtain a Butterflyway designation, 12 or more patches of habitat must be established. The Foundation's website provides resources, stories and tips.

4. eButterfly

   From the rarest butterflies to the most common, your sightings contribute to conservation decisions, scientific knowledge, education, and more. Help scientists understand when and where butterflies occur. 

    

5. iNaturalist

   iNaturlist is an online software/app that encourages a species data sharing community. You can record observations of wildlife, share with others and discuss your findings. Data is shared with a variety of scientific repositories like NatureServe Canada and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. The tool is a good way to help you identify unknown species.

6. EcoSpark -for teachers/schools

   EcoSpark is an environmental charity connecting people to their local natural environment through education, monitoring and stewardship. They offer workshops for grade 6 - grade 12 students in data collection, monitoring and surveys to help students expand their understanding of nature and the environment. EcoSpark  programs align with EcoSchools Actions and Program Elements and staff work with teachers in the GTA to support the school's plan through on-site workshops and more.

The federal government has a list of all citizen science programs available across Canada.