Want to make your yard look more beautiful, attract pollinator species and prevent flooding on your property?
Conservation Halton offers a series of workshops called Healthy Neighboursheds to help local residents learn about low impact landscaping.
The purpose of low impact landscaping is to work with nature to create beautiful and healthy home gardens that manage rainwater, use less energy and resources, and benefit local water quality and wildlife. With practical information and expert insights from Conservation Halton staff and our partners, the Healthy Neighboursheds workshops will help you design and create your own low impact garden.
Registration is open for our spring workshops!
Spring Giveaways
Register for our Healthy Neighboursheds workshops and complete our feedback survey to be entered into our spring gardening giveaway! Prizes include items you can use for your low-impact landscape.
Planning for Flood Prevention
Thursday, March 27 from 7:00pm to 8:30pm | Virtual
Registration: $10
Find out how flood forecasting works and what you can do to protect your property from flooding. Join Conservation Halton’s Manager of Flood Forecasting & Operations, Glenn Farmer, for a behind-the-scenes look at how floods are predicted and managed in our watershed. We will then hear from our Restoration Engagement Technical Lead, Christine Bowen, to learn about practical, beautiful, and eco-friendly landscaping solutions that help prevent flooding and improve our local water quality.
Design Your Native Landscape
Saturday, April 5 from 9:00am to 4:00pm | In-person
Registration: $45 (Lunch Included)
Location: Flamborough Baptist Church, 41 Concession 5 Rd E, Waterdown
Put your learning into practice! In this full-day workshop, you will learn how to design, implement, and maintain a low-impact development project at home. Join us to hear from local experts, including ecologists and gardeners who have designed their own native landscapes. We will end the day with small group discussions with the experts to address your specific garden designs. Bring photos and sketches of your yard and get ready be inspired!
Growing Native Plants from Seed
Wednesday, October 16 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm | Virtual
Registration: $10
How can you harvest and propagate native plant seeds? Join Sean Fox, Botanist and Seed Specialist from Verbinnen’s Nursery as he shares his experiences with native plants from across our watershed. We will share tips about how to effectively and ethically collect seeds and how to prepare your seeds to sprout for the next growing season.
Improving the Health of Trees and Shrubs
Wednesday, October 23 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm | Virtual
Registration: $10
Learn about how you can enhance the health of your trees and shrubs with Conservation Halton arborist, Jeff Dickie. We’ll discuss how you can choose the right trees for the conditions of your yard and how to effectively mulch and prune, and the signs to know if your tree is in trouble. You will leave this workshop with more knowledge about environmental stresses, emerging forest pests and diseases, and how to protect your trees for the future.
Sustainable Winter Practices: Managing a Salty Situation
Wednesday, October 30 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm | Virtual
Registration: $10
Dive into the environmental impact of salt use with experts Lorna Murison from Credit Valley Conservation and Pamela Strong from Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority. You will learn responsible salting techniques, explore alternatives and discover salt-tolerant native plants that you can plant at home. This workshop will equip you with the knowledge to protect your property and the environment this winter!
For questions about the Healthy Neighboursheds program, email stewardship@hrca.on.ca.