Applications are now open for the City of Toronto’s PollinateTO Grants program. Through the program, the City offers grants of up to $5,000 to support community-led initiatives that result in the creation or expansion of pollinator habitat on public and private lands in Toronto. A priority will be placed on funding projects in Toronto’s Neighbourhood Improvement Areas.
Projects eligible for funding include those that create new pollinator habitat in green spaces, such as schoolyards and parks, and those that expand existing gardens with pollinator-friendly plants. Projects that create pollinator pathways (multiple gardens on a residential street) are also eligible for funding. Projects must be visible to the public and educate and/or engage the community.
Community groups, not-for-profit organizations, student groups, parent councils, Indigenous groups and other resident-led groups are encouraged to apply. Applications will be accepted until Wednesday, October 25.
Interested residents are invited to attend an information session on Tuesday, September 19 or Wednesday, October 4, to learn more about the grants and applications process. More information is available on the PollinateTO Grants webpage.
Since 2019, 150 community-led projects have been supported through the grants, resulting in more than 400 pollinator gardens (about 24,000 square metres) across Toronto, including 41 projects in Neighbourhood Improvement Areas and 66 projects on school grounds.
The grants are a component of the City’s Pollinator Protection Strategy, adopted by Toronto City Council in 2018 to support the more than 360 species of bees and more than 100 species of butterflies and other pollinators in Toronto. Pollinators support healthy and resilient ecosystems that help clean the air, sequester carbon, stabilize soil and absorb stormwater. Many species are in decline due to habitat loss, climate change and other stressors.
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