Through the Green Streams program, community groups, schools and businesses are working with Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) and the City of Brampton to make public green spaces in the West Humber River valleys cleaner and greener for all to enjoy!
How does the Green Streams program work?
The Green Streams program is a great example of collaboration at its best.
Green Streams invites community groups, schools and businesses to adopt City-owned valleys in the West Humber River Watershed.
Adoptee groups are provided with tools and resources to steward these lands and complement extensive restoration done on these lands through the City of Brampton’s Brampton Valleys Re-naturalization Planting Program (BVRPP) and TRCA’s Valley Restoration Program (VRP).
Green Streams’ adoptee restoration activities include:
- Infill tree, shrub and wildflower planting
- Infill aquatic planting
- Litter clean-ups
- Construction of wildlife habitat such as bird boxes
- Community outreach such as Yellow Fish Road Storm Drain Marking
- Environmental monitoring
City of Brampton’s BVRPP restoration activities* include:
- Caliper tree planting
- Shrub and wildflower nodal planting
- Invasive species removal
* City of Brampton also develops trails and pathways and storm water management ponds, often found in the City’s valleys.
TRCA’s VRP activities include:
- Stream bank stabilization
- Watercourse naturalization
- Riparian and upland tree planting
- Wetland construction and associated tree, shrub and aquatic plantings
Who are the Green Streams Adoptees?
Currently six Green Streams sites have been adopted. You can use our interactive map to view the Brampton Valleys and meet their Adoptee Groups.
What is Restoration and Why Does it Matter?
The West Humber River needs us!
Science shows us that this portion of the Humber River watershed is greatly stressed from rapid land use change. Only by working together can we make the West Humber green and healthy once again.
Restoration speeds up the process of returning land back to its pre-settlement state.
Planting trees and shrubs along the shorelines will help the West Humber by stabilizing the stream banks and helping to prevent erosion. The trees and shrubs will also assist in improving water quality. Shade from the trees provides cooler temperatures for fish and creates habitat for creatures such as turtles and frogs.
Cleaning up litter and building and installing wildlife habitat structures will also help bring nature back to these areas.
Green Streams Achievements
Since the launch of the program, Green Streams Adoptees have contributed to the health of the Humber River watershed in the following ways:
- Planting 7425 trees and shrubs, 216 aquatic plants and 75 wildflowers
- Removing over 170 bags of garbage from adopted sites
- Installing 25 song bird nesting habitats
- Painting yellow fish on 135 storm drains through the Yellow Fish Road Program, as a reminder that what goes down the drain ends up in the river
- Raising 600 Atlantic Salmon in the classroom for release into the Humber through the Lake Ontario Atlantic Salmon Restoration Program
- Conducting more than 50 environmental events. Activities have included planting, monitoring and maintaining plants, organizing educational activities such as Emerald Ash Borer information sessions, and hosting nature walks
- Contributing approximately 5,000 volunteer hours to the stewardship of adopted sites
Get Involved!
Whether you want to adopt a site, come out to an event, or just learn more about the green spaces in your community, every action can make a difference.
Everyone is welcome to be part of Green Streams — no experience required!
For more information contact:
Cameron Richardson
Humber River Stewardship Coordinator
416.661.6600 x 5639
greenstreams@trca.on.ca