Resources and events

Our 2023 roster of activities includes in-person and online events with EcoSpark, Block Ambassador training, Introducing the plants for the 2023 sale, the plant sale itself, and more! Visit our Events and Calendar page to find out more.

Plant Sale to Return in June 2023!

Last year through our spring plant sale, over 8,000 high quality native plants were planted by Project Swallowtail participants throughout the GTA and beyond. To see which species were included in the four different kits that were offered, please see our 2022 Plant and Butterfly guide..

To find out about our next plant sale and other activities, please sign up as a participant and we will be in touch with more details closer to the date.

Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests (LEAF) and Project Swallowtail launched a joint campaign to increase pollinator awareness and habitat in west Toronto from late August to November of 2020.
 We are extremely excited to be continuing our partnership with LEAF in 2022.

Trees and shrubs provide some of the most crucial floral resources for pollinators in early spring. This joint campaign focuses on encouraging Project Swallowtail participants and other Toronto residents to purchase a tree or shrub from the Project Swallowtail list through LEAF's subsidized Backyard Tree Planting Program.

We encourage you to learn more about LEAF and their subsidized trees and shrubs by visiting their website today!

Check out all of our previous programming and meet some of the wonderful volunteers of the Project Swallowtail community by visiting our YouTube Playlist!

As COVID-19 restrictions lifted in August and September 2021, we organized a few in-person activities that included walking and biking garden tours, native plant seed collection workshops, and plant swaps.

We hope to do activities like these during the summer of 2022, in line with COVID19 rules and restrictions. We will keep participants updated through our newsletter. If you aren't already a member of Project Swallowtail, please sign up to receive information on these events.

Over 130 Project Swallowtail Block Ambassadors and PollinateTO participants started on the path of certification to become official Pollinator Stewards during our six-week training in 2021! Congratulations to all the participants for your engagement and enthusiasm. The success of this group's training has led to the development of the Pollinator Steward Certification program on a national stage for 2022!

This unique certification program is offered only by Pollinator Partnership Canada (P2C), the largest non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of pollinators and their habitat. P2C has been at the forefront of pollinator research, education and habitat improvement for over 20 years. Certification as a Pollinator Steward demonstrates that you have a science-based understanding of pollinators and gives you the practical know-how to help them. Certification also shows that you have used your knowledge to create habitat and educate others.

In February 2021, sixty-five Seed Sitters received seed tray kits that they will take care of over the winter and into spring. Yes, that's right - most native plant seeds need an 'overwintering' period of cold to kick-start their germination process! Come summer and fall, Seed Sitters will spread these plants to community gardens and neighbourhood yards, and others will be used to engage and recruit new participants to Project Swallowtail.

Check out the Seeds to Seedlings workshop below from Block Ambassador and steering committee member Pete Ewins, and the Seed Sitters webpage to learn how to start your own seeds.