Most noteworthy successes of the early years:
- Renaturalizing the channel at the Black Creek Pioneer Village,
- Successful negotiations with the Town Of Vaughan to modify their
industrial development plans for the Vaughan-Hwy 400 estates to address
potential downstream stormwater and water pollution problems,
- Preservation of Edgeley woodlot, a small stand of Carolinian
trees,
- Convincing the City of York not to use Lavender Creek, a tributary of
the Black Creek, as a snow dumping site,
-
1985 Summer - Black Creek Improvement Study
Funded by Canada Works Grant.
Completed by the publication of
"A Proposal for Erosion Control and Trails on the Black
Creek" ©
,
-
1988 - A Natural Heritage Inventory Study of the Black Creek
Watershed
Funded by the City of York, The Ontario Heritage Foundation (Ministry
of Citizenship and Culture)
Plants inventory of 4 natural sites in the watershed: Edgeley and
Hedges woodlots,York University Campus - Black Creek Ravine, and the Black
Creek Drive Corridor,
-
1992Smythe park channel repair at Jane street, after lobbying TRCA
compromised for armor stone instead of concrete replacement,
-
1993 Lavender Creek planting and path construction- a joint project
with the Lavender Association of local residents.
Funded by Consumer Gas &City Of York. Lavender Creek Path opened
on Oct 14, 1993.
Our major projects included the following initiatives:
Please click in the title for detailed description of the project:
2012 Wildlife Habitat Structures for an Urban Watershed
Supported by: Earth Day Canada Community Environment Fund 2012 and Sobeys.
Under this program participants in BCCP events and programs were able to construct and install 396 wildlife habitat structures. These included 270 toad abodes, 50 song bird nesting boxes, 45 tern nesting shelters, 6 bat boxes and 25 bee condos. In order to build these structures the BCCP held one large community event and 5 partner based biulding programs. Over 400 people attended these events. In addition, volunteers planted over 1,000 native wildflowers at 2 locations along the Black Creek watershed in order to improve local habitat and plant diversity. During the year BCCP held three nature walks, taking almost 200 youth out into their local parks to look for signs of wildlife in our city and to assist with installing some of the habitat structures.
During the project the BCCP developed several new partnerships; BCCP volunteers assisted in building 45 new tern nesting shelters. The materials for these shelters was donated by Toronto Waterfront Parks and the completed shelters were returned to Waterfront Parks staff so that they could be installed on a new tern nesting raft along the Toronto Harbourfront! The BCCP also partnered with the TRCA to assist in the Richmond Hill Mill Pond Splash event for 2012. At this event, local Richmond Hill residents participated in building 90 new toad abodes which were later installed in green spaces along the Black creek.
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Bee Hotel
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Building toad abodes
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Installing toad abodes
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2010-2012 Downsview Dells Community: An Action Program for Stormwater Control
Supported by: EcoAction, Environment Canada. (EcoAction)
Project started in the summer of 2010 and ran to the Spring of 2012.
This project focused on undertaking environmental projects in and around Downsview Dells Park.
In total we planted 8,000 trees, shrubs and wildflowers protecting over 2.7 hectares of riparian shoreline and habitat. Volunteers built and installed over 210 song bird nesting boxes.
Over the 2 years of this project the BCCP engaged an estimated 5,000 student and community residents. Other events conducted included various nature walks, invasive species control projects and trash clean-up operations.
1990 - 1991 "Black Creek Rehabilitation Project"- a joint
project with Conservation Council of Ontario (CCO).
Supported by Environmental Partners Fund (Environment Canada) - BCCP
Project No: Ont-0038 and CCO Project No: Ont-0040,
summer work programs supported by Environmental Youth Corps (Human
Resources Development, Canada).
Project Summary:
Work focused on erosion control (25 sites), reforestation (3000 trees
and shrubs), and habitat enhancement at 4 sites : Edgeley, North of Lawrence
at Queens Drive, Trethewey, and Lavender Creek. In May of 92 consultants
delivered the
"Ontario Hydro Right-of-Way Site Design" ©
(engineering study for planned wetland at the site).
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1992 April to end of 1994: "Black Creek Improvement Project"
Supported by Environmental Partners Fund (Environment Canada) - Project
No: Ont-0243, Environmental Youth Corps Program (Ministry of Natural
Resources, Canada),
Global ReLeaf, Laidlaw Foundation, Kodak Canada, City of York,
Community Wildlife Improvement Program (MNR)
Project Summary:
Work focused on renaturalizing the channelized portion of the creek,
erosion control, and wetland creation to provide wildlife habitat and enhance
biodiversity.
During the course of the project 11,300 trees, shrubs, and aquatic
plants were planted by over 1,300 volunteers.
In 93 September the Trethewy (North of Eglinton East of Black Creek
Drive) Wetland opened.
In 94 the "Wildlife Enhancement" subproject created the Hydro
Right-of-Way Wetlands (0.5 km N of Steels, West of Jane).
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1995 March to end of 1999 "Adopt a Stream"program name
changed to
"Caring for Your Watershed"in 95 September.
Over its lifetime supported successively by Environment Canada Action
21 Program (Project #: ONTA024) and EcoAction2000 Community Funding Program
(Environment Canada, Project # ON-10-029). Received contributions from
Community Foundation of Greater Toronto, Canada Trust Friends of the
Environment Foundation, Great Lakes Renewal Foundation, Laidlaw Foundation,
and Global ReLeaf .
Project Summary:
The program focused on three main components: regeneration - to
rehabilitate wildlife habitat, education and the development of long lasting
partnerships - to empower the community to undertake their own rehabilitation
project, and advocacy - to promote the Black Creek Watershed as a place for
environmental change.
Accomplishments over the 4 years of this project included:
- The planting of almost 7000 trees and shrubs and 1555 aquatics
plants,
- The completion of 21 individual restoration and management projects
within the watershed,
- The adoption of 12 sites by community groups,
- A large variety of community out-reach and education activities,
- In 1997 published
"Caring for your Watershed, A Guide to Adopting and
Rehabilitating Black Creek" ©,
- In the summer of 98 initiated a water quality monitoring program,
involving students and community members in water quality education,
testing and analysis. The results were published in September:
"Study and Analysis of Benthic Invertebrates, Thermal Stability,
and Channel Morphology for the Black Creek" ©.
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1996-97 Black Creek Channel Renaturalization Study
Funded by TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, Laidlaw Foundation.
Project Summary:
In 1999 February consulting engineers delivered the document:
"Black Creek Channel Naturalization Feasibility Study (Rockcliffe
Boulevard to Jane Street)" ©
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2000 to 2001: "Clean the Creek" Program
Supported by EcoAction (Environment Canada, Project # ON-12017), The
Ontario Great Lakes Renewal Foundation.
Project Summary:
Over the two years, the Black Creek Conservation Project has carried
out a total of 122 community outreach events and activities under this
program.
Accomplishments included:
- the planting of 2,746 native trees and shrubs and 1,700 aquatic and wet
meadow plants within the watershed,
- 25 clean-up events which filled over a dozen dumpsters with garbage and
litter pulled from the creek and parklands,
- completion of a comprehensive water quality assessment of the creek
(temperature, invertebrate communities, fish, amphibians, bio-monitoring,
water chemistry),
- business and community outreach to address the issue of stolen shopping
carts being dumped into the creek,
- conducting numerous watershed tours, educational tours and events,
- working to address issues pertinent to the watershed such as;
stormwater contamination, road salt impacts, snow dump impacts,
- the development of a Regeneration Strategy for the Black Creek
Conservation Project to prioritize our restoration activities,
in
2001published
"A Strategy for the Regeneration of Black Creek" ©
.
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2002 to 2004: "Partnerships in Restoration" Program
Supported by The Ontario Trillium Foundation (Government of Ontario,
Grant ID #9913248).
Project Summary:
This program has helped to create competent, stable, and motivated
environmental stewardship groups throughout the watershed. Many of the key
partners involved in this project have become more independent in their Black
Creek and environmental stewardship roles.
Accomplishments involving 10,900 volunteers included:
- 175 restoration and educational events,
- 4315 native trees planted during the project,
- 4475 native wildflower and aquatic plants planted,
- 10 restoration action sites,
- constructing a total of 7 native wildflower gardens through the Black
Creek watershed,
- construction of a trail through Black Creek Channel Park.
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2006 to 2007 "Black Creek Restoration Coalition Project"
Supported by EcoAction (Environment Canada, Project # ON-24032).
Project Summary:
From extensive experience in delivering outdoor education programs to
schools we have expanded the repertoire of our environmental subjects:
- Our tree planting has grown to include tree maintenance programs,
- Our bird house building has grown to include bird population monitoring
programs,
- Our outdoor education programs have grown to include new topics on
native plant propagation, tree care & pruning,
- Our native plant gardens are now managed and propagated by the adopting
schools.
These new approaches resulted in longer term ownerships by community
groups and local schools.
Accomplishments involving 6,500 volunteers included:
- 120 events held,
- 8 new organizations engaged,
- 11 restoration action sites,
- 5520 native trees planted,
- 45 bird houses installed, 100 built
- 1 snake hibernacula constructed,
- 4 wildflower gardens established,
- 26,750 kg of garbage removed.
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2008 Spring: Chalkfarm Park - Native Wildflower Garden #1
Supported by: Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation - Community Grants
Program
Project Summary:
A 40 square meter native wildflower garden, containing 1000 plants, was
established at the north end of Chalkfarm Park (West side of Jane Street,
North of Wilson Ave.).
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Education through Action on the Black Creek
Evolution of the Black Creek Restoration Coalition project of
2006-2008, ran from April 2008 to end of March, 2010.
Supported by: EcoAction.
Project Summary:
This project was designed to make use of our existing Black Creek Coalition of schools, community groups, and interested individuals in order to deliver a wide spread education program that is unique and interesting, primarily by being an active, hands-on program where those involved learn by doing.
The primary objective of this proposal was to strongly establish the Black Creek Conservation Project's Environmental Education programs in the community and local schools and communities. Over 2 years the BCCP involved more than 6,900 volunteers from 10 schools and numerous community groups in 170 environmental events along the Black Creek.
During these events the volunteers accomplished the following targets:
Planted a total of 7,466 native trees and shrubs and wildflowers. These plants now protect approximately 2,000 meters of stream bank and naturalized over 6.25 hectares of land. 25 cubic meters of wood chips were used as mulch to protect the planted trees and shrubs. This woodchip mulch was donated by local tree care firms and would have otherwise entered the local landfills.
Volunteers cleaned-up approximately 15 tonnes of garbage and debris from the Black Creek valley lands,
125 songbird boxes were built and installed and a maintenance program to ensure good repair of the network was initiated. The BCCP now has over 225 songbird nesting boxes along the creek.
The BCCP conducted several events to control invasive plant species: Efforts were focused in particular on European buckthorn invading our tree planting areas.
Our previous programs involved one school or community group at a time. New programs emphasized linkages between schools and community organizations and cooperation on projects that span larger areas of the watershed. From extensive experience in delivering outdoor education programs to schools we have expanded the repertoire and complexity of our environmental programs:
- Our tree planting has grown to include tree maintenance programs,
- Our bird house building has grown to include bird population monitoring programs,
- Our outdoor education programs have grown to include new topics on native plant propagation, tree care & pruning.
These new approaches will lead to longer term ownerships and partnerships between community groups and local schools and between schools in different locations along the watershed. The intent is to create a sense of partnership and belonging and to foster independent stewardship by and between our cooperators.
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Mt. Dennis Community Project, ran from December 2008 to December 2009.
Funded by: Live Green Community Investment Program of Toronto
The project will be operating solely within the Mt. Dennis Community area
of the Black Creek watershed. The area is bounded by:
- 401 Highway (North),
- Keele St. (East),
- Alliance Ave. (South),
- Jane St. - Weston Rd. (West).
This operating area falls into Live Green's West Toronto District.
Under the mandate of the Black Creek Conservation Project this
neighbourhood falls within the bounds of the Black Creek watershed.
We will work with both school and community groups to undertake a range of
environmentally based activities and education programs which include:
- Tree planting,
- Planting native wildflower gardens,
- Garbage clean-ups (with re-cycling of metals and plastics),
- Construction & installation of bird boxes and bat houses,
- Community environment walks,
- Outdoor environmental educational programs.
The Black Creek Conservation Project will partner with the Mt. Dennis
Community Association and will also form partnerships with at least 3 public
schools in the area.
Objectives of the project:
- 900 school students and 400 community members will be engaged with
outdoor classrooms and environmental activities including tree and native
garden planting, nature walks and garbage clean-up programs,
- Volunteers will establish 2 native gardens containing over 2,000 native
plants,
- Volunteers will plant 1,000 to 1,500 native tree in local parks, green
spaces, and school yards and install protection (wood chips & tree
guards) around these trees,
- Volunteers will build and install 100 birdhouse and/or bat-box nesting
structures,
- During Clean-up events, volunteers will collect, remove and recycle an
estimated 5,000 kg of trash from community green spaces and parks,
- The BCCP will install informative signage on project sites identifying
project purposes and cooperating and supporting agencies (Specifically LIVE
GREEN, TORONTO),
- Approximately 40 school and 20 community events will be held in the Mt.
Dennis area in order to accomplish these goals.
(Note: these are targets specific to Live Green Funding and are NOT
counted in other on-going BCCP programs.)
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Riparian & Steep Slope Planting Program, ran from July 2008 to June
2009.
Supported by: Community Program for Storm Water Management (CPSWM)
Project Summary:
The Black Creek Conservation Project (BCCP) used CPSWM funds to meet
objectives of the Wet Weather Flow Management Master Plan in regards to tree
planting in riparian zones of the Black Creek for the purposes of
intercepting rainfall and/or surface water-flow on steep slopes leading
directly to the Black Creek itself. The project will enhance the local
hydrologic cycle and reduce soil erosion potential on four (4) sites in the
Black Creek watershed. The work will also enhance natural ecosystems by
planting native woody plants.
The sites selected to be part of this project have been identified as
priority sites in the BCCP's,
"A Strategy for the Regeneration of Black Creek". Some sites
have been identified as priority areas under TRCA's
"Humber River Watershed Plan"(DRAFT 2008).
CPSWM funds
were used to purchase 2,215 trees and shrubs for Black Creek planting
projects on 4 sites:
- York University, Stong Pond - Hoover Creek.
A 2 acre site with grassy slopes leading into Stong Pond
- Black Creek Parklands (Humber Blvd. east to Jane St. & south of
Alliance Ave.),
A 500 meter long riparian site being naturalized over the past 10
years.
- Chalkfarm Park (Jane St. & Wilson Rd.),
A steep grassy slope leading to the edge of Black Creek now supports
a 150 meter riparian corridor.
- Edgeley Park - Driftwood Park. (Driftwwod Rd. & Jane St.).
Driftwood Creek (a Black Creek tributary) had no riparian cover and
now supports a 200 meter riparian corridor.
The BCCP conducted a total of 16 events that included trash cleanups and
tree planting. A total of 2,200 tress were planted and 760 tree guards were
installed. More than 460 volunteers contributed over 2000 hours of their
time.
The City of Toronto, Recreation, Parks & Forestry Dept., supported
these projects with the donation and delivery of wood chips for the purposes
of mulching the planted trees.
York University Grounds Keeping donated woodchips for the York
University planting at Stong Pond.
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Chalkfarm Park - Native Wildflower Garden #2. Spring of 2009.
Supported by: Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation - Community Grants
Program.
Project Summary:
The project established a new native wildflower garden at the north end
of Chalkfarm Park (West side of Jane Street, North of Wilson Ave.). This
garden has an area of roughly 40 square meter and accommodates roughly 1000
native wildflowers and grasses. The plants selected for the garden were
species common to the historical communities once found along the Black
Creek.
Prior to rehabilitation work, much of the park existed as a heavily
maintained monoculture of mown turf grass and provided little to enhance the
ecological health of the Black Creek. The native wildflower garden plays a
key role in the ecological improvement of this site by:
- providing an additional area of wildlife habitat along the creek,
- its water retention capabilities will reduce stormwater flowing into
the Black Creek,
- helping to re-establish a plant community that was historically common
to the watershed,
- providing seed-sources that will help establish larger plant
communities in nearby 'naturalized' areas within Chalkfarm Park and
along the Black Creek,
- serving as an interpretive and educational point of interest.
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Delivering Environmental Activities in Downsview Dells,ran from
January 2010 - December 2011
Funding source: Live Green Capital Project Fund 2011.
Webpage link to Livegreen
Project Summary:
The BCCP has recently completed a program to deliver environmental
programs to schools and community groups throughout the Downsview Dells area
of the Black Creek watershed.
Volunteers planted 1,415 trees and shrubs at 3 locations in Downsview
Dells Park and nearby Giovanni Cabotto Park. The majority of this planting
was designed to create new riparian buffer strips to protect eroding creek
banks and wetland areas. An estimated 17 yards wood chip mulch, donated by
Bruce Tree Ltd., was used to protect the newly planted trees and shrubs.
In order to increase bio-diversity in our planting areas 2,265 native
wildflowers were planted alongside the trees and shrubs.
Student volunteers from several area schools built and installed 110
new song bird boxes at 4 locations along the Black creek, bringing the total
number of nesting boxes monitored by the BCCP to approximately 350.
The 1,700 volunteers involved in the planting and bird box portions of
this project also undertook to clean up over 3,000 kg of trash during 40
separate events along the Black Creek near Downsview Dells.
Project Location:
Downsview Dells Park area (Sheppard Ave between Jane St. & Keele
St.)
map
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2011 Community Tree Planting Program for Stormwater Reduction in the Black
Creek
City of Toronto. Community Program for Stormwater Management (CPSWM)
Jan. - Dec. 2011.
Webpage link to Livegreen
With support from Toronto's CPSWM program, 1745 volunteers, mostly
Mount Dennis area students were involved in planting 1,875 trees along the
south end of the Black Creek. These trees and shrubs covered an estimated 3.5
acres and created approximately 350 meters of new forested, riparian zone
along the creek. Additionally 9 yards of wood chip mulch and 450 rodent
guards were put on and around these trees to protect them and ensure long
term survival.
In addition to outdoor actuivities of planting trees and spreading wood
chip mulch, the students were also involved in trash cleanup in the local
parks and with in-class environment awareness programs delivered by the BCCP.
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