A new Chronolog mount has been installed at the lookout pier on Grenadier Pond by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). This pilot project invites visitors to take digital pictures of the same view over time and post them…
Category: High Park Nature
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 8th. It continues daily until November 30. Hawks generally fly when the winds are from the northwest. Keen birders monitor the weather report…
First Occupants of Our New Purple Martin House Spring/Summer 2023 Report
Contributed by David Creelman Earlier this year, ‘The Martineers’, a small group of local birders who look after the old Purple Martin house at the south end of Grenadier Pond, approached TRCA (Toronto and Region Conservation Authority). The old house…
Mid-Summer Garden Delights Boulevard Beds in Full Bloom
It’s late July and the native plants in the High Park Boulevard Beds are putting on a wonderful display! Many showy flowering perennials are blooming and the native grasses, Big Bluestem and Panic Grass, are beginning to flower. The High…
High Park Movement Strategy Update Road changes coming this summer
The High Park Movement Strategy is moving forward. The first phase of implementation work is set for July 28 to August 5, 2023. It will introduce new pavement markings, signage, and traffic control measures. This schedule is weather dependent and…
INVASIVE PLANT CONTROL CONTINUES DOG STRANGLING VINE MANAGEMENT, SUMMER 2023
Urban Forestry will continue with management of Dog Strangling Vine in High Park over the next 3-4 weeks this summer. Staff have been strategically and actively managing a small number of areas of vegetation within High Park for over 20…
PRIME NESTING TIME FOR TURTLES HELP PROTECT HIGH PARK'S TURTLES
High Park is home to two native, at-risk turtles—the common snapping turtle and the Midland painted turtle. A third, the invasive red-eared slider is native to Mexico and the southern US, usually a pet later released into the ponds. Nesting…
Spring Birds in High Park Migration is happening now!
May is a busy, exciting month for peak bird migration in High Park. In spring some 50 species of birds arrive to breed here while many others make an important stop-over on their journey to other breeding grounds. Prime viewing…
High Park: A Balancing Act Virtual Learning Session, recorded on April 27
High Park is known for many things, including its natural areas. A jewel in the city’s park system, it includes rare plants, animals, and habitats. Join City of Toronto’s Parks Program Officer, Jaclyn Scobie as we take a look at…
Movement Strategy Fails to Put Nature and Pedestrians First High Park Movement Strategy enters final phase
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…
Sign up for Stewardship 2023 Time to register
Registration is now open for stewardship work in High Park. Volunteer Stewards have been working with the City of Toronto since 1996, to protect and restore the remaining natural areas of High Park including large areas of Savannah with Black…
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…
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
Paws for Parks is a volunteer group composed of nature supporters, dog owners and concerned community members. The group’s mission is to promote responsible pet-walking practices in public parks. Paws for Parks has begun reaching out to park users in…
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…
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…
