Conversations for Conservation: Pollinator Roadsides with Waterloo Region Nature – Habitat Creation Along our Roads
Wed Apr 30, 2025 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Preston Heights Community Group (350 Linden Dr, Cambridge), N3H 5N7
Description
Conversations for Conservation welcomes Jennifer Leat of Waterloo Region Nature's Pollinator Roadsides! Join us to learn about how this program is making a real impact in our community. Jennifer will share about the inspiration and creation of this program and discuss the pilot project that started last spring. Together, we will learn about the methods involved in the project, the results to date, some challenges faced along the way and how you can help make a difference too.
Pollinator Roadsides
Imagine the roadsides of expressways and other main roads being a meadow of native flowering plants instead of mown turf grass. This is the dream of Pollinator Roadsides, a community-driven project of Waterloo Region Nature. Waterloo Region Nature is a charity and naturalist club for the Region of Waterloo which engages in conservation activities.
The goal of Pollinator Roadsides is to replace what is currently mowed turf grass with pollinator-friendly native plants to beautify the roadsides and recreate habitat for pollinators and other wildlife in the Region of Waterloo. The long-term goal is to encourage changes in management practices to reduce mowing and promote the ongoing creation and maintenance of roadsides for pollinator habitat. It is hoped that this venture will become an example of what can be achieved across the province.
Pollinator Roadsides was established in November 2022 and undertook their first pilot planting in spring 2024.
About the Presenter: Jennifer Leat
Dr. Jennifer Leat grew up in the UK and came to Canada in 1991. She is a retired professor at the University of Waterloo, where she taught and undertook research in optometry. Since retiring she has become an avid proponent of gardening for birds and insects, especially planting native species of plants. She lives in Kitchener, where she has a large garden, including a meadow devoted to native plants. She initiated the Pollinator Roadsides project in November 2022 and has since been its main lead. She is an avid birder and photographer, and uses her photography to promote the use of native plants. She is a member of Waterloo Region Nature, Waterloo Gardeners and two photography clubs.
Pay What You Can
rare strives to host community events for everyone with a 'pay what you can' model. If you are in a position to make a contribution, all proceeds help us to offer meaningful events and activities for our community to engage with and learn about our natural world.
Questions? Contact Sara Clark, Events & Development Coordinator, at Sara.Clark@raresites.org or (519) 650-9336 x122.
Location
Preston Heights Community Group (350 Linden Dr, Cambridge), N3H 5N7