Conservation Lands Management and Restoration

We Conserve Lands in the Credit River Watershed

We are the stewards of over 2,800 hectares (7,000 acres) of natural space in the Credit River Watershed. The watershed extends from the Headwaters in Dufferin Country to Port Credit in Mississauga where it drains into Lake Ontario. We provide visitors with unique experiences in nature, supporting healthy communities and a sustainable natural environment.

Our land holdings serve a variety of functions:

Protect natural features and functions
Conserve cultural resources
Provide nature appreciation and recreational opportunities
Promote mental and physical well-being
Provide economic benefits (through local tourism, employment, ecosystem goods and services)
Mitigate flooding, erosion caused by severe weather events
Clean water
Capture carbon
Provide habitat

Our Conservation Areas

We operate a system of 62 conservation areas. We provide visitors with unique experiences in nature, supporting healthy communities. Our conservation areas also support active lifestyles that promote physical and mental well-being. Our lands provide ecosystem goods and services, and our stewardship also reduces the impacts of severe weather events resulting from climate change.

We’re committed to the long-term health of our conservation areas. We’re passionate about our contributions to the health of our communities. We work to protect these natural features and functions for future generations.

Conservation Areas Master Strategy

Our Conservation Areas Master Strategy (CAMS) shapes our efforts over the next 10 years (2018 – 2028). Our strategy commits us to:

Stewardship of Land and Water
Accountability
Indigenous Communities
Service

CAMS identifies four principles for conservation lands management. Each of the four principles are considered to be of equal value.

Protect

Protect the natural and cultural heritage assets within our conservation areas.

Connect

Develop and nurture relationships with all who seek to connect with the land and water.

Experience

Ensure that visitors to our sites experience a wide range of recreation opportunities, health benefits and tourism options.

Deliver

Deliver services to our residents, visitors, stakeholders and partners that reflect our commitment to quality, accountability, fiscal responsibility and the natural environment.

Management Plans

We develop management plans to set the long-term vision for a property and outline the strategies, actions and decisions needed to achieve that vision. Learn more about managements plans in development and how you can get involved:

Restoration Projects

We are restoring ecosystems and creating wildlife habitat for a resilient Credit River Watershed on our conservation lands. Learn about our latest projects:

We are creating a new conservation area on the shores of Lake Ontario. We’re transforming the area to be more natural, diverse and ecologically functional by naturalizing the shoreline, reestablishing coastal wetlands and restoring streams draining into the lake to provide habitat for fish, migrating birds and wildlife.

Learn more about the Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area.

The goal of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of enhanced restoration for two former aggregate sites in the Town of Caledon – Pinchin Pit and the Capstone parcel, formerly called the Flaherty Pit, which is a part of Charles Sauriol Conservation Area. Our goal is to restore these properties and transform them into future Credit Valley Parks.

Learn more about the Pits to Park Restoration Project

We’re decommissioning the dam and pond at Monora Park due to the decline of the dam structure and increased public safety risk. The goal of the project is to restore Monora Creek and the surrounding wetlands while considering safety, social, recreational and economic values.

Learn more about the Monora Park Dam Mitigation.

The goal of this restoration is to replace dead or dying ash trees with native trees and shrubs and remove invasive plants so a healthy forest with diverse species can return and thrive.

Learn more about ash tree management at Rattray Marsh.

We’re transforming a former farm field overgrown with non-native and invasive plants into a thriving grassland with native plants and grasses. It will provide critical habitat for species at-risk such as eastern meadowlark, bobolink and grasshopper sparrow.

Learn more about the Upper Credit CA grassland restoration.