We were pleased to lead an Ontario Nature Youth Council Our Special Spaces event at Whitby Hospital in conjunction with Lakeirdge Health Volunteer Services last month. It was a joy to bring our community together to enrich the hospital’s garden and support local wildlife We planted several types of pollinator plants, such as Canada anemone, black-eyed Susan, wild bergamot, thimbleweed, great blue lobelia, heart-leaved aster, pale purple coneflower, common milkweed, and Joe Pye weed.

Our Special Spaces are youth-led conservation volunteering events driven by the needs of the local communities. A focus has been restoring natural spaces, such as creating pollinator habitats by planting native pollinator plants, bringing attention to the fundamental role pollinators play in sustaining our ecosystems and economy.

This event was generously sponsored by TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. Founded by TD Bank Group, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation is a national charity that funds a wide range of environmental initiatives, with a primary focus on education and green space programs.
This event was also supported by Ontario Nature and Transport Canada’s Youth Environmentalist Award. This award honours the vibrant spirits of several environmental leaders, including remarkable young Canadians, who lost their lives en route to the United Nations Environment Assembly on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302. In engaging in this community activity, we hoped to carry forward their legacy of safeguarding our planet for future generations.
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A heartfelt thank you to TD Friends of the Environment Foundation @td_canada, Ontario Nature @ontarionature, Lakeridge Health @lakeridge.health, our mentors Christine Ambre and Maya Davidson at Ontario Nature Youth Council @on_youthcouncil, and all the amazing participants for supporting this initiative Your contributions made a significant impact!
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