December 18, 2023

RRCA's project helped 50 landowners naturalize their property's grounds and shorelines.

With the help of native trees, shrubs, wildflowers, habitat structures, and expert guidance, the Raisin Region Conservation Authority (RRCA)’s 2023 Backyard Conservation Project assisted 50 local landowners with implementing naturalization projects on their properties’ grounds and shorelines.  

“Within urban and suburban settings, smaller-scale naturalization projects can have a significant collective impact on water quality, regional tree cover, flooding and erosion resilience, and biodiversity,” says Vincent Pilon, RRCA’s Communications Specialist. “The Backyard Conservation project was enthusiastically received by the community and will continue to inspire property owners to keep environmental sustainability and resilience in mind when designing their yards and shorelines.”

Residents curious to see examples of backyard naturalization projects can now view a recently launched virtual video tour series on the RRCA’s website at rrca.on.ca/BYC. Some of the featured projects include an urban forest in a downtown backyard, the conversion of a manicured front lawn into an attractive pollinator haven, and the maintenance of healthy riparian buffers.  

“No matter the size of your property, you can still make good stewardship choices and have a positive influence on your community and the greater environment,” says Pilon. “While this project has now come to a successful conclusion, we encourage residents to take advantage of other RRCA initiatives, such as our Over-the-Counter Tree Program, which offers select native shrub and tree species to residents at low cost thanks to subsidies from Forests Ontario.”

Applications to the spring seedling edition of the program opened earlier this month. Available tree species include pin cherry, bitternut hickory, sugar maple, bur oak, black elderberry, tamarack, and more. In the fall, the RRCA also offers a potted stock edition of the program. Residents are encouraged to subscribe to RRCA’s monthly newsletter at rrca.on.ca to be notified in advance when the next fall program form becomes available. For larger projects, a full-service planting program is also offered. 

The Backyard Conservation Project has received funding support from the Government of Ontario. Views expressed are those of the RRCA and do not necessarily reflect those of the Province. For more information visit rrca.on.ca/BYC or contact (613) 938-3611 or info@rrca.on.ca.