Wetlands are among the most important ecosystems in our landscape, and play a vital role in maintaining water quality, regulating hydrological systems, providing essential habitat for biodiversity, and building climate resilience.
The ECA is excited to launch A Resilient Greenbelt Includes Wetlands, a new conservation initiative made possible through generous funding from the Greenbelt Foundation. The project will focus on protecting and restoring critical wetland ecosystems within Ontario’s Greenbelt.
The project will advance wetland conservation through two key actions. First, restoration of two stream-fed wetlands at the base of the Escarpment and an adjacent wet meadow area through invasive species control and seeding with a wet-meadow native seed blend. Second, the ECA will support evaluation of priority upland wetlands that are partially protected by the Greenbelt using the Ontario Wetland Evaluation System.
Community involvement will be a central part of the project. Volunteers will participate in hand seeding restoration areas, supporting invasive species management, assisting with wildlife monitoring, and collecting ecological data. This work will also help launch the ECA’s long-term stewardship program on a nature preserve secured in December 2025.
“Intact wetlands provide an abundance of ecosystem services for nature and for people. In some parts of southern Ontario, an estimated 95% of wetlands have been removed from the landscape and many of those remaining are degraded and fragmented from the surrounding landscape.” said Carolyn Thickett, Conservation Director of the Escarpment Corridor Alliance. “By actively restoring and learning more about them, the ECA can help ensure the wetlands in South Georgian Bay stay healthy and resilient.”
Community involvement will be a key component of the restoration work with volunteers participating in hand seeding the 6.5 acre field in the early fall, supporting invasive species control efforts, assisting with wildlife monitoring, and data collection. This project will kickstart the ECA’s long-term stewardship program on this nature preserve that was secured in December 2025 and improve protections for priority wetlands across the South Georgian Bay region of the Niagara Escarpment.
The A Resilient Greenbelt Includes Wetlands project reflects the ECA’s ongoing commitment to science-based conservation. By protecting and restoring wetland systems, the initiative supports healthier watersheds and contributes to a more connected and resilient landscape across southern Ontario.
