Native Plants

Planting For Beneficial Insects -- a project from MSU; a great site to learn about pollinators, also.

Audubon Plants for Wildlife -- this web page contains a useful section for plants that attract birds and a very useful page on plants for beneficial insects.

SERO -- Ontario Society for Ecological Restoration -- Under the "News & Links" section, you'll find many links to areas in Ontario where restoration is being done along with information about conferences and educational programs. Be sure to go the the publications tab. Sero has published a wonderful guide to resources for native plants.

Seeds of Diversity -- this web site contains a handy list of heritage seed sources, a catalogue inventory if you're looking for specific seeds and a section about their Pollination Canada program. A great group to know about -- Canadian

North American Native Plant Society -- this site contains sources for native plants and associations, information about how to do a plant rescue, a link to the NANPS seed exchange and to their publication, "The Blazing Star"

Gardening with Native Plants -- from the Region of Peel Waterwise Program.

Native Plants for Toronto --- a great little publication about how to select plants with a good plant list and lots of sources.

PlantNative -- a site for those wanting to make a natural landscape. It's American but contains information that can be adapted for Canadian needs. The site includes information about bioswales and green roofs.

Pollinators

An Invertebrate Habitat -- this is one of the most inspiring ideas for those who want to create habitat for the insects in their gardens.

Native Bee Walls -- a collection of housing for native bees.

The Old Drone -- a wonderful blog about native pollinators and pollinator habitat ideas

Native Bees -- learn about the native bees in Ontario and how to encourage them to live in your garden.

Bee House -- build a house for native pollinators.

Native Pollinators -- how to raise and manage mason orchard bees

Pollination Canada -- a site by Seeds of Diversity -- chock full of pollinator information

Pollinator Watch Kit -- From Pollination Canada -- a guide to counting native bees and adding to the Pollination Canada database.

The Xerxes Society for Invertebrate Conservation -- don't miss a look at this site. There is a great page on Pollinator Conservation with a section for what you might do for pollinators in your home garden.

Farming with Pollinators -- a document by the Xerxes Society illustrating the value of native bees to farmers and their crops.

If the bees disappear, we'll all be stung -- an article by David Suzuki

Our Home and Native Bees -- an article from the Suzuki web site

CanPolin and the National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada -- teaming up to collect information about our native bees.

CanPolin Newsletter --- what's it all about?

Bumble Bees -- how to recognize them and all about them

Sustaining Native Bee Habitat -- a pamphlet from the USDA about bee habitat on farm land

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is concerned about pollinators

Convention on Biological Diversity -- discussion on pollination

North American Pollinator Protection Campaign -- an American initiative

Water Conservation

Xeriscape Gardens in Arizona -- some ideas would fit us here in Ontario.

Region of Peel Water Conservation -- this regional web site has a section about waterwise gardening along with notices of rebate programs and rain barrel sales

Waterwise Gardens from the Region of Peel -- guides to making your garden more water efficient.

Conservation Authorities of Ontario -- provides links to all the conservation authorities across Ontario

Conservation Ontario -- contains a map of the conservation authorities in Ontario, a list of aquatic species at risk and information about watershed stewardship

Clean Water Foundation -- a Canadian, non-profit organization dedicated to guiding citizens toward good water solutions. On the website are several publications, lots of facts and ways you can become watersmart at home.

10 Ways to be more water wise -- a publication from the Ministry of the Environment of Ontario

Signs and Solutions -- a National Geographic site for water information. Find out about the water crisis on earth.

Riversides -- a really good water conservation site from Toronto

H2Ouse -- a really neat site containg a water budget calculator, a house tour giving hints about saving water around the house and, for gardeners, waterwise gardening tours and plants.

Rainwater Harvesting and Rain Barrels

How to Set Up a Rainbarrel-- this video from youtube is an HGTV presentation -- good visuals.

Texas Rainwater Harvesting Manual -- a must read for those seriously considering harvesting rainwater.

Multiple Rain Barrels -- information about hooking up several rain barrels.

Rainwater Calculation -- this site will calculate the number of gallons you can harvest if you know the square footage of your roof.

Home Owners Guide to Rainfall -- produced by Riversides for Toronto, this site help with your rationale for rainwater harvesting.

How to Build a Rain Barrel -- instructions from the City of Ottawa

Handytank -- a new concept in water harvesting, an alternative to rain barrels

Foundations & Programs

Suzuki Foundation -- lots and lots of "green" information including "Conserving Our Oceans" and "Building a Sustainable Economy." Of special interest may be the status of pesticide bans in Canada -- look in link $6 of "What you can do right now."

One Million Acts of Green -- register and begin saving green house gases today. Join the Canadians that are working bit by bit to make a difference.

TD Bank Financial Services -- a funding source for things environmental

EcoENERGY -- a federal program that leads to grants for companies and home owners.

Blue Water Project -- a Royal Bank project which grants funds to projects that foster water stewardship.

Wildlife

Audubon Backyard -- find out how to create a healthy backyard under such actions as removing exotic plant pests, conserving water or minimizing lawns

Federation of Ontario Naturalists -- learn more about the organization and its works including current campaigns and petitions.

Canadian Wildlife Federation -- Wild About Growing -- besides the really neat Flash graphics, this site is full of information for gardeners including links to zone mapes, a gardeners calendar, a "being green" sections and a searchable plant encyclopedia of 575 plants.

Pollinator Gardens -- this link is to Pollination Canada. See how critical the situation is? There is a Canadian website devoted to pollinator facts!

Canadian Wildlife Backyard Certification -- certify your backyard as a habitat for wildlife.

Project CHIRP -- an initiative of the Canadian Wildlife Federation for songbird conservation. The site contains good information about creating habitat for birds and also addresses the issue of pollinators.

Just for Kids and Projects

Audubon Kids Section -- an American site that contains games and video cams for kids

Audubon Together Green -- an interesting site that promotes attitude change and explores ways that individuals can make a difference. The section, Cool Stuff, includes wallpapers and screen savers.

School Grounds -- wow! a great site sponsored by the Canadian Biodiversity Institute that include lots of resource material for greening school yards.

Botanists in Training -- a super site for kids by the Royal Botanical Garden including plant anatomy, plants at risk, invasive plants and biodiversity pages.

Action Groups and Government

OMAFRA Handbook -- OMAFRA has updated its gardeners' handbook

Environment Canada

Ontario Ministry of Environment

Conservation Bureau -- a division of the Ontario Minstry of Energy and Infrastructure -- find out what's happening, listen to the minister

ecoAction-- Federal government website on its plan to reduce greenhouse gases and air pollution; site includes specific sections relating to energy conservation / energy efficiency, and identifies available grants and rebates.

Go Green Ontario -- Ontario Ministry of Environment website with a focus on the government's climate change policy and conservation tips.

PowerWISE -- a site with lots of information about energy: conserving it and reducing the demand for it.

Environmental Action -- an interesting site/blog about global warming, clean air, wilderness, oceans. Read it once in a while just to be on top of world environment issue.

ecoACTION -- the federal government's page about conserving and the environment.

Green Products

Green Shift -- for Non-toxic, Biodegradable, cups, plates, bowls, cutlery, bags,

Grass Roots -- environmental store -- source of produce bags

Gaia Green products for your garden. Although based in BC, many shops in Ontario do stock Gaia Green products.

Green Home -- this site is out of San Franciso. There are a great many products available including drinking glasses, cups, bath and cleaning products, bags, biological pest control and on and on. A good place to visit for idea.

Ecologo -- the group that sponsors the eco labelling. The site contains a database of sources for green products in North America. The group has an office in Ottawa.

Planet Friendly Gifts --- a site full of source ideas for gifting, sources for green products and even a green cleaning service out of Toronto.

Green People -- a list of sources for green products mostly from the United States.