Our Special Spaces

Highlights of 2023

Each year, Ontario Nature’s Youth Council organizes conservation volunteering events across Ontario. From July to October 2021, Youth Council members hosted four habitat creation and restoration events. They hosted events in the Greater Toronto Area, Strathroy, Whitby and Markham.

We are grateful to our local partners and volunteers who helped make these events successful. They planted more than 400 wildflowers, shrubs, and trees for riparian restoration and establishing pollinator habitat.

Our Special Spaces event, Markham, 2023

Background

Since 2011, hundreds of people have joined Our Special Spaces events and contributed to conservation efforts in their communities. Past projects include pollinator habitat creation, tree planting, litter removal, hiking trail maintenance, and shoreline clean-ups.

Youth Council members have hosted 78 Our Special Spaces events, engaging over 2,400 volunteers across Ontario.

Litter cleanup, Our Special Spaces, 2023

Contact

Please contact Christine Ambre to get more information about sponsorship inquiries for future Our Special Spaces events.

You can reach Christine at christinea@ontarionature.org or 416-444-8419 (toll-free 1-800-440-2366) ext. 244.

Volunteers at Vanier Park, Our Special Spaces 2023, Whitby © Christine Ambre

Testimonials from 2023 events

“Being part of Ontario Nature Youth Council’s Our Special Spaces event was an engaging and hands-on experience that I hope to continue being a part of in the future. Learning about Ontario native pollinator plants was an informative lesson that I hope to apply to future initiatives I take on in the future.” – Derek N, Ontario Nature Youth Council member and Our Special Spaces Whitby event co-coordinator

“I was glad to see other youth attend the event to help restore the habitat of such an important species! A few of us even stuck around after the event to keep planting and getting to know each other better.” – Julianne H, Ontario Nature Youth Council member and Our Special Spaces Markham event co-coordinator

Testimonials from 2021 events

“It was so incredible to finally be able to attend a planting after waiting so long with COVID-19 but it was definitely worth the wait. It was really fun to speak and interact with the local conservation authority and learn about the benefits of planting along riverbanks to prevent erosion. Being able to actually get my hands dirty and leave knowing that when I come back to visit our work will have grown and made an impact is super empowering.” – Sammie H, Youth Council member and volunteer for Our Special Spaces Strathroy

“The planting event was all in all a great experience! As young individuals who care greatly about the environment, it felt amazing to be able to contribute positively in my local community through this planting event and ultimately, it gave me a sense of self-satisfaction.” – Pritika L, Youth Council member and volunteer for Our Special Spaces Whitby

Our Special Spaces 2021, Rosedale Park, Whitby © Christine Ambre