Focus on Protecting Nature When work on the City-led High Park Movement Strategy began in 2021, more than three-quarters of people surveyed sent a clear message : Enhancing and conserving the park’s ecological integrity should be a high priority in…
Category: High Park Nature
High Park: A Balancing Act Virtual Learning Session, April 27, noon-1pm
High Park is known for many things, including its natural areas. Over one-third of the park remains in a natural state. A jewel in the city’s park system, it includes rare plants, animals, and habitats. Join City of Toronto’s Parks…
Invasive Tree Removal Woody invasive trees are removed in winter by Urban Forestry
With the longer days of February, activity in High Park is gearing up for spring. Specifically, Urban Forestry is removing large invasive trees. This initiative is part of the City’s Urban Forestry’s Natural Area Management program for the restoration of…
Taking the Lead New Public Education Campaign Launches in High Park
The High Park On-Leash Committee (HPOC) is a volunteer group composed of High Park Nature supporters, dog owners and concerned community members. The group’s mission is to encourage compliance with the dog-walking rules in High Park through education. The HPOC…
High Park Christmas Bird Count December 18, 2022
by Bob Yukich The annual High Park Christmas Bird Count was held on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, a mild but windy day with almost no snow-cover. Our route recorded a total of 49 species and 2,988 individuals. Our best bird was…
Spraying for LDD/Spongy Moth Caterpillars Spring 2022 with Late Summer Update
High Park was sprayed for LDD Moth caterpillars (also known as Spongy Moth, previously called Gypsy Moth) in spring 2022. The first application took place on Saturday, May 28, the second one on Tuesday, May 31 and the final one…
Call for a Ban on Fishing at High Park’s Grenadier Pond Time to put nature first
For at least a decade the High Park Natural Environment Committee (NEC) has been urging the City of Toronto to put an end to fishing at Grenadier Pond. The committee’s concerns are well documented in a series of letters to…
Where there’s smoke, there’s renewal Article in Toronto Star, May 14, 2022
The High Park Stewards and the prescribed burn that took place on April 29, 2022 are both featured in an article by Emily Waugh in the Toronto Star. Read the article as it first appeared online or the Pressreader version…
Sakura – Cherry Trees in High Park How this Japanese tradition came to High Park
High Park’s cherry trees are blooming! Vehicle access is closed in the park. For more information, including a map of locations, virtual tours and accessibility information visit the City’s Cherry Blossoms webpage. Please take care to respect wildlife and their…
Grenadier Pond Wetland Complex declared a Provincially Significant Wetland
We are pleased to announce that the Grenadier Pond Wetland Complex has been given “Provincially Significant Wetland” status by the Ontario government. The evaluation summary, conducted by Toronto Region Conservation for the Ministry of Northern Development, Natural Resources, and Forestry, …
Now available – the latest issue of our UPDATE newsletter
Please see the April 2022 issue of our UPDATE newsletter for a summary of news and activities involving the High Park Natural Environment Committee, High Park Stewards and our City partners. The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks recently…
High Park Stewards Newsletters pdf versions of newsletters sent to Stewards
February 2022 Due to COVID restrictions Urban Forestry is sending out invites to on-site sessions to those who were active in 2019 or have signed up to receive them since them. The general High Park Stewards email list is for…
High Park Christmas Bird Count 2021 Results
by Bob Yukich The annual High Park Christmas Bird Count was held on Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021 (a mostly sunny day with light snow-cover). Our route recorded a total of 46 species and 3,961 individuals. No unexpected species were found…
Stewards 2021 Review Stewards Sessions from July to December 2021
The High Park Stewards in-field stewardship events resumed in July 2021 after being put on hold due to COVID-19 resurgences during the first part of the year. The first event for 2021 was held on July 25th. Similarly to last…
Natural Environment Survey Results
The High Park Natural Environment Committee recently conducted a survey of members and supporters. The results are now available here. It’s heartening to see how much support there is for better protection of High Park’s natural environment, and in particular…
Hawk Migration is Underway High Park Hawk Watch - Visitors Welcome!
The High Park Hawk Watch got off to a “flying” start with several bald eagles on September 1st. It continues daily until November 30. Hawks generally fly when the winds are from the northwest. Keen birders monitor the weather report…
High Park Movement Study and Survey Your Opportunity to Speak Up for High Park
The City is launching the High Park Movement Strategy: “a study to improve the travel network for High Park and better serve park users and the community.” The first step is an online survey. More information can be found on…
LDD (Gypsy) Moth Caterpillars Lymnatria dispar dispari - The "LDD Moth"
If you’ve been walking through wooded areas in the park recently, you may have heard what looks like a gentle rain pitter pattering around you. Not rain, but the munching of hundreds of Gypsy Moth caterpillars! They have been feeding…
TRCA’s 2019 Terrestrial Biological Inventory of High Park View virtual presentation
Presentation Link and Follow-Up Q&As now available! Learn about the Toronto & Region Conservation Authority’s methodology, findings and observations as presented in the final High Park Terrestrial Biological Inventory Report, 2019. A question and answer opportunity followed the presentation. Urban…
Purple Martins and Other Bird News
The Purple Martin house at the south end of Grenadier Pond was cleaned out on April 14 by volunteers led by David Creelman, in preparation for this year’s arrivals. Last year there were several successful nests, and hopefully this year…
