The City of Pickering partnered with Canada Bread Company Ltd. to plant 200 pollinator-friendly plants in Ernie L. Stroud Park, as well as tag and release monarch butterflies that were reared at the Pickering Central Library as part of an educational exhibit.
Canada Bread has made significant investments into this park over the past three years, planting over 800 pollinator-friendly plants to support declining local pollinator populations. Canada Bread has also gifted native pollinator-friendly plants to three other garden projects in Pickering that were impacted by dry, harsh summer conditions, said a city statement.
Canada Bread, a Pickering based company, funded the pollinator project through its Good Neighbour program. This program strives to make a positive impact in local communities by preserving the environment, helping local organizations, and promoting healthy lifestyles.
Members of Council, City staff volunteers (Pay-it-Forward Committee), and Canada Bread employees planted the site and tagged and released the newly emerged monarch butterflies. The tagging helps with data collection and analysis when the monarchs migrate south to Mexico.
“Pollinators, such as butterflies, bats, hummingbirds, and bees play a vital role in maintaining a healthy environment and sustainable food system and I am incredibly proud of the steps Pickering and its partners have taken to help protect them. Many of these species are in danger, like the monarch population, which has decreased by 90 per cent in the last 20 years, and as such, Pickering will continue in its efforts to make a real and meaningful difference,” said Mayor Dave Ryan.
“The Good Neighbour program aims to make a difference in the communities that we live and work in,” said Joe McCarthy, President, Canada Bread. “The program promotes community projects, like the Pollinator Project, that align to our purpose of building a sustainable, highly productive and deeply humane company. By giving back to the communities that we operate in, we directly support local organizations and promote healthier lifestyles.”
The City partnered with Canada Bread Company Ltd. to plant 200 pollinator-friendly plants in Ernie L. Stroud Park, and to tag & release Monarch butterflies that were reared in an exhibit at the Pickering Public Library!
Read more in today’s release https://t.co/1RTI5BPvqF pic.twitter.com/XdyanEIaDo
— City of Pickering (@CityofPickering) September 22, 2020
Congratulations on your project to help the monarch butterflies migration. I hope more municipalities across our province will also do the same. 🙂