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Ecological Landscaping & Restoration Resources

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What is Ecological Landscaping?

Credit Valley Conservation encourages ecological (or, environmental) landscaping and gardening on all lands.

Ecological landscaping is a way of thinking about and caring for land, water, air, plants and animals. Among other practices, it includes:

  • planting native trees, shrubs, wildflowers and grasses
  • reducing lawn and planting low-maintenance lawn or ground covers
  • conserving water by planting drought tolerant species, planting adjacent to water features and using rain barrels or cisterns
  • working with environmentally friendly materials, such as permeable paving and sustainably harvested wood
  • adopting environmentally friendly landscape maintenance practices and products
  • managing invasive plants that enter your land, and
  • reducing or eliminating pollutants, such as litter, oil spills and overuse of de-icing salt.

Benefits of Ecological Landscaping

Ecological landscaping can help protect and restore the natural environment, while making our communities even better places in which to live and work. Among other benefits, ecological landscaping helps to:

  • create a more diverse, naturally-beautiful, green landscape
  • improve air, water and soil quality
  • mitigate impacts of global climate change and increasing urban temperatures
  • provide shelter from the sun and wind
  • improve tree cover
  • protect and restore natural areas, such as forests, streams and meadows
  • protect and restore native biodiversity (i.e., diverse native plants, birds, fish, butterflies and other wildlife)
  • protect and restore environmentally important connections between natural areas
  • reduce flooding and conserve water
  • reduce long-term maintenance costs and energy used for maintenance
  • create new economic , environmental education and recreation opportunities, and
  • contribute to the quality of life and human health.

Resources

CVC and, in some cases, our partner agencies have produced a variety of programs, workshops, fact sheets and information resources for landowners, tenants, and the landscape industry.

Native Plant Lists

Printed booklets available for purchase here.

Ecological Landscaping How-to Guides

Ecological Landscaping Factsheets

Rainscaping

Ecological Landscaping Services

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