Resources and events

P2C supports Project Swallowtail by focusing on youth education and empowerment through connecting with nature.
We will be working with Skills for Change to support two cohorts in engaging in community enhancement and pollinator stewardship!

More information to come..

Over 216 Project Swallowtail Block Ambassadors and PollinateTO participants have taken Pollinator Steward Certification since Project Swallowtail's inception. Congratulations to all participants for your engagement and enthusiasm. The success of the initial group's training led to the development of the Pollinator Steward Certification program on a national stage!

Pollinator Steward Certification (PSC) is a unique certification program 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 10 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.

Seed Sitters receive 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 then spread these plants to community gardens and neighbourhood yards, and others are 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.

Beginning in March, Project Swallowtail will host a series of talks bringing together experts to discuss topics ranging from Project Swallowtail research findings to deep dives into native plants for different urban habitats to pollinators of other continents and more!

Anthony Ayers - Project Swallowtail Research Findings
Thursday, March 10th @ 7:00 pm EST
Did you know there is an active research project being undertaken within Project Swallowtail? We will hear from researcher Anthony Ayers of the Rehan Lab at York University about some of his findings on pollinators in Project Swallowtail gardens. CLICK HERE to register.

Dr. Kit Prendergast - Native pollinators and plants of Western Australia
Monday, March 28th @ 7:45 pm EST
The Horticultural Societies of Parkdale & Toronto and Project Swallowtail will co-host Dr. Kit Prendergast speaking on native pollinators and native plants of Western Australia (WA). The flowers of this regions are gorgeous! Dr. Prendergast did her Ph.D. work on this system, and has published on the effect of native vs. non-native plants in gardens on WA native pollinators. CLICK HERE to register.

Plants Coming to the Sale!
Thursday, April 7th @ 7:00 pm EST
We will once again be having a plant sale in 2022, and will be in touch with you with more details as we sort them. Here we will be talking about all the plants coming to the sale, their needs, and how you can best succeed with them! CLICK HERE to register.

Native Plants for Dry Shade
Thursday, May 5th @ 7:00 pm EST
Through our experiences in Project Swallowtail, many urban gardens have compacted and dry soil and shady conditions due to densification and landuse. We will talk about species that are best adapted for these conditions. CLICK HERE to register.

Balcony Gardening with Native Plants!
Thursday, June 9th @ 7:00 pm EST
Join botanist and native plant lover Ryan Godfrey in a discussion about habitat creation in one of the most underutilized spaces in cities - balconies! Learn about the best plants to use, and tour Ryan's own beautiful balcony. CLICK HERE to register.

May 6-27 (online)

The spring plant sale is now closed. A big thank you to all our participants who purchased native plants!

Close to 6,000 high quality native plants were planted by Project Swallowtail participants through this plant sale. To see which species were included in the four different kits that were offered, please see pages 22-26 the 2021 Plant and Butterfly guide.

To find out about our next plant sale and other activities, please sign up as participant.

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.


This joint campaign focused on encouraging Project Swallowtail participants and other west Toronto residents to purchase a tree or shrub from the Project Swallowtail list through LEAF's subsidized Backyard Tree Planting Program.

Though the campaign has come to an end, we encourage you to learn more about LEAF and their subsidized trees and shrubs by visiting their website today!