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rare's 1,000 Gardens Project

Welcome to rare’s 1,000 Gardens Project! We’re working to build a pollinator waystations map along the Toronto-Waterloo Region corridor. Keep reading to learn more about this project. When you’re ready, you can sign up to join us!

We look forward to adding your pollinator garden to our map in 2023-4!

We would like to thank Fiix Software for sponsoring this project and setting up the data collection.

Why is this project important?

Pollinators are a critical part of our ecosystem. By carrying pollen between plants, these tiny eco-warriors pollinate fruits, vegetables, and flowers, making plants healthier and able to produce a harvest. Unfortunately, the pollinator population is in decline, with one of the main factors being habitat loss. By creating and maintaining a pollinator garden you are contributing to overall conservation! Planting native species in gardens will support critical pollinators to provide their important ecosystem service.

Who can participate?

Anyone with a garden including native species beneficial to local pollinators can participate! It doesn’t matter whether you have a large backyard garden or a tiny garden on your balcony; we welcome gardens of all shapes and sizes!

How to get started?

If you already have an existing pollinator garden, please register and provide details on your garden. Your garden will then become part of the corridor showing conservation efforts from Waterloo Region to Toronto. Your one garden will become part of the larger overall goal of habitat creation and will join the mosaic of gardens helping to reverse pollinator declines and to support the local environment.

How will my garden data be used?

Your name, email address and other contact information will not be displayed or publicly available. Our two step sign up process separates this data from the garden data to ensure your privacy. We will only show the data you provide about your garden, including your address it is located at and the species present. This data is important to demonstrate a visual connection of gardens creating a corridor of habitat.

Spread the word about your pollinator garden! Purchase a ‘This is a Pollinator Garden sign’ to display in your garden. Signs cost $20 each, and proceeds from the sale of the garden sign support the 1,000 Gardens Project and other pollinator habitat projects at rare.

To learn more and order your own sign, contact Catherine Becsky at  catherine.becsky@raresites.org.