By mid-2025, all City of Toronto Community Stewardship Program (CSP) sites will support an ecological monitoring plot established to help volunteer stewards & citizen scientists collect meaningful data about the flora growing there. Over time, this data could be used to assess trends in species richness & abundance and to demonstrate the impact of volunteer stewardship on habitat quality. TFN is proud to play an important role in this long-term project.
In early 2024, NECP Staff and TFN volunteers worked together to develop various methodologies and protocols to support this initiative, largely informed by practical experiences gained through our Cottonwood Flats Monitoring Program (CFMP). By July, TFN had established monitoring plots at four of nine CSP sites: Beechwood Wetland, Cottonwood Flats, Don Valley Brick Works Park and Nordheimer Ravine. TFN volunteers then set to work identifying and documenting the species present in each plot to create a baseline inventory.
Starting in 2025, CSP volunteers will be able to participate in routine monitoring activities during their stewardship sessions. These important observations will be passed along to TFN who will manage ongoing data tracking, verification, and reporting. Plots for the five remaining CSP sites are scheduled to come online by summer 2025, with CSP volunteer participation expected to begin once baseline inventories have been fully completed.
This program offers many opportunities for volunteers with a variety of skills and experience levels to participate! TFN can always benefit from volunteers to assist with plant identification, plot creation & maintenance, ongoing data analysis, and much more. If you’re interested, please contact us at stewardship@torontofieldnaturalists.org.