York Region planting pollinator meadows in Newmarket, Aurora

Community invited to help plant meadow in Aurora at corner of Bayview Avenue and Stone Road Thursday, June 15

Yorkregion.com
June 13, 2023
Joseph Quigley

York Region is creating new pollinator meadows in Newmarket and beyond and is inviting the public to a planting event in Aurora this week.

The region has announced a series of meadows to come up throughout its nine communities. Aurora’s meadow will be at the corner of Bayview Avenue and Stone Road, with residents asked to come by to help plant between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. Thursday, June 15.

Education, tools and plants will be provided.

“This project aims to create pollinator meadows to increase the population of butterflies, bees and other insects,” the region said on its website. “The world’s flowering plants depend on a pollinator.”

The region held a similar event in 2022 to create a new pollinator meadow in Richmond Hill. Now, the initiative is expanding to other regional communities. The region plans to install a pollinator meadow in Newmarket at the northeast corner of Davis Drive Drive West and Bathurst Street, though no date has been scheduled for that yet.

The region said the creation of pollinator meadows eliminates the need for mowing. The plants added will assist in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the region said.

“The public space will encourage residents to enjoy the outdoors by providing a destination where they can observe and learn about the importance of creating pollination sites as well as the significant role pollinating bees and butterflies play in our local environment by reading educational signs,” the region said on its website.

In the event of inclement weather, the Aurora planting event will move to June 16.

More information and updates are available at york.ca/projectpollinator.

You can contact York Region public works for any questions at transportation@york.ca or 1-877-464-9675 ext. 75000.