Thank You Volunteers!
From riversides and forests to meadows and neighbourhood greenspaces, 2025 was another powerful year for stewardship volunteering across the Credit River Watershed. With boots on the ground and hands in the soil, thousands of volunteers came together to restore habitats, remove invasive plants, plant native species and care for the places that cares for us.
Together, their efforts added up to real, measurable impact and a stronger, more resilient watershed for the future.
By the Numbers
This year, an amazing 3,194 volunteers helped us:
- Plant 7,609 native trees and shrubs
- Plant 2,922 wildflowers
- Naturalize 255,821 square metres of land, about four times the size of Scotiabank Area. This includes:
- 38,536 square metres planted
- 42,205 square metres cleared of invasive species
- 175,080 square metres restored through litter cleanups, trail and shoreline care and stream restoration
- 2,696 pounds of litter removed
Each of these efforts contributes to healthier habitats and stronger ecosystems across the watershed.
Why Invasive Plant Removal Matters
Invasive plant species remain a major focus of stewardship work because of the significant impacts they have on local ecosystems. When left unmanaged, invasive plants can:
- Take over space and resources needed by native species
- Alter soil chemistry, making conditions unsuitable for other plants
- Provide little or no nutritional value for native wildlife
- Host pests and diseases that affect native plants and nearby crops
By outcompeting native vegetation, invasive species reduce biodiversity and weaken ecosystem resilience. Removing them is often the first step in restoring balance and supporting long-term ecological health.
Many Tools, One Shared Goal
Stewardship work is hands-on and highly collaborative. Volunteers use spades and hand tools to remove herbaceous plants like garlic mustard, timing their work carefully in the spring before seeds can spread. For woody shrubs, volunteers rely on shovels, pruners, and tools such as extractigators, often working together to remove large plants and their root systems.
Removed plants are handled thoughtfully. Herbaceous invasives are bagged and disposed of to prevent regrowth, while woody shrubs are often left on site and arranged into habitat piles for wildlife. This year, creativity also played a role, at the Hungry Hollow five-year celebration, volunteers transformed uprooted buckthorn and honeysuckle into Halloween-themed broomsticks.
Every action taken through stewardship volunteering helps strengthen the Credit River Watershed. In 2025, it was the dedication of many hands that made lasting habitat improvements possible and that collective care continues to shape a healthier future.
Read more about volunteer accomplishments in 2024.
Visit our get involved page to join events in the watershed.
Share your photos with us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
By Kimberley Laird, Associate, Marketing and Communications