Stewardship Program
Join us every Wednesday at 11 Redway Road to combat invasive species in the Don Valley!
About the Stewardship Program
Since the spring of 2020, Don’t Mess with the Don has been stewarding an ever-growing site in the Don Valley. The location is in the Sun Valley loop in Crothers Woods. We remove invasive plants and restore native ones to create a thriving ecosystem for the diverse species of birds, animals, and plants that are present in the Don Valley.
We have an amazing team of knowledgeable stewards and volunteers, but are always looking for new members to join us in tackling the greatest threat to the Don Valley and to green spaces all over the North East of Canada and the US.
We meet every Wednesday at our home, the Container Hub at the Loblaws trailhead at 11 Redway Road. We provide all tools and training as well as drinks and snacks. If you want to join us for Winter Stewardship please get in touch as meeting times can change and the session may be cancelled due to weather.
Our Work
The Don Valley is plagued by a variety of invasive species which threaten biodiversity and the very existence of native plants, insects, animals, and other life in the Don Valley.
Primary among the invasive species is Dog Strangling Vine (DSV). This vine originates in Ukraine where it is rare due to natural predators. In North America it propagates unchecked, supplanting almost all native plants, particularly devastating Milkweed, the habitat for Monarch Butterflies.
Our stewardship programme has aggressively attacked the problem by removing DSV and performing weekly maintenance of the site. We first remove the DSV through pulling and cutting to prevent seed growth and spread, followed by root removal and replanting of native species such as Milkweed, Joe Pye Weed, Indian Grass, and many others.