Take Action at Home

Although many areas of natural beauty have been protected under the Oak Ridges Moraine Act and Plan, a full 90% of the Moraine is under private ownership. This includes our own properties! All of Oak Ridges sits on "the rain barrel of Southern Ontario". Thus the careful stewardship by each and every landowner will make a positive impact on the health of the Moraine.

Another important issue of our times is that of Climate Change. There is a great urgency for human beings to address their individual responsibility to live in a sustainable manner.

These intertwined responsibilities of protecting the Moraine and living in a sustainable manner may sound onerous. In a way they are. We only have one planet earth - no exchange, no refund! Yet so many little changes in our daily lives and property management can add up to a huge difference in the improvement of our local and global environmental health. "Inch by inch is a cinch, yard by yard is hard".

Thus we urge you to take the small steps that will have a big impact. The following are a few guidelines that will help you live in harmony with the natural surroundings of Oak Ridges and improve the global environmental health.

Protecting Our Water

The source of our drinking water is right here in our backyard. The wetlands and small streams are the headwaters of the Humber, Rouge and Don Rivers that flow into Lake Ontario. This water comes back into our taps. Thus everything that is washed into our rivers, either directly or through the storm drains, by rain, snow melt or our garden hoses has the potential to pollute our water.
To reduce this pollution, please consider the following:

Pesticides should not be used except under extreme conditions and only with great caution following the instructions very carefully. There is increasing concern about the effect of these chemicals on human health, particularly that of children. They leach through the soil and end up in our ground water. In addition they kill beneficial insects that are important food supplies for birds and amphibians.
Natural fertilizers are better for your lawn and gardens in the long run and cause less environmental damage. Phosphorus leaks into lakes and streams where it promotes overgrowth of vegetation choking out fish habitat. Nitrogen can burn the vegetation and kill beneficial earthworms.
Use sand or kitty litter on icy paths and driveways in the winter, instead of sodium chloride (salt) that is toxic to plants and wildlife. In fact road salt has been attributed to an increase in wildlife road kill. There are some "ice melter" products on the market that are less harmful than salt but make sure that you read the labels very carefully.
Storm drains take the water from our streets to local lakes, ponds and streams for dispersal. In the process any chemicals such as oil, grease and soap are picked up along the way. Please dispose of household hazardous waste at the regional centre and consider washing your car at a car wash where wastewater goes into a sanitary sewer.
Please pick up after your pet as waste, containing harmful e-coli bacteria, left unattended will leach into streams either directly or through the storm sewers.
Storm water management ponds that are evident in many new areas have been constructed to capture the water from rain, snow melt and storm sewers to prevent flooding and filter out some of the harmful chemicals from this water. The vegetation around the ponds is strategically chosen for its filtering features much like specific paper is used for the filter in your coffee maker. These areas are not designed for recreation and children should be monitored closely in their vicinity.
Consider planting drought tolerant plants and installing a rain barrel to capture water from your eves for garden use. This will help maintain the regional water supply during the hot summer months.
Return unused or expired prescription and non-prescription drugs to the pharmacy for safe disposal. Pharmaceutical waste can contaminate groundwater and natural watercourses and soil. It can also act as an endocrine disrupter, which is harmful to the growth, development and reproduction of aquatic species. Thus it is very important that they are not flushed down the drain or toilet or put in regular garbage.

Top of Page

Protecting Our Land

While we still have an abundance of natural features in our neighbourhood, much of our land has been taken over by development, probably including the location of your home. We need to protect our natural spaces and restore the newly developed lands with vegetation, preferably many of the native species, in order to continue to enjoy our natural bounty. The following guidelines will assist this process:

Increase the variety of vegetation on your property beyond a basic patch of grass. Consider planting native trees, shrubs and flowers that will help maintain the critical mass of such plants for natural survival. These species are suited to our climate and local topsoil. They are generally hardy and will require little maintenance once established.
Trees and shrubs are the backbone of a naturalized yard, thus consider planting these first. The Tree Canada Foundation www.treecanada.ca/publications/trivia.htm gives you a whole page of the advantages of urban trees from absorbing carbon dioxide (green house gases) to clean the air to providing heating and cooling advantages for your fuel bill to help ease your stress level.
When caring for your lawn, consider the fact that maintaining a perfect patch of turf can be very frustrating and harmful to the environment, children, and pets and wildlife if chemical pesticides and fertilizers are used. A healthy lawn can be achieved without chemicals. Tips on organic lawn care can be found on the York Region Environmental Alliance web site at: www.yrea.org
When enjoying local parks and trails, please ensure that others do too. Take only photographs and warm memories, leave only foot prints. Please stay on designated trails through natural areas and do not take flowers or small creatures and dispose of litter appropriately.
Please respect restrictions on motorized vehicles and use bicycles with care in public spaces. Your local snowmobile or off-road association will assist in locating appropriate locations for these activities.

Top of Page

Protecting Our Wildlife

Clearing land for new homes destroys wildlife habitat. Many species are struggling to find a home or natural migration path. Of particular note in our area is the migration of amphibians due to our abundance of wetlands and forests. These creatures are beneficial to us due to their diet of insects. To assist our small creature friends, please consider the following:

Trees, shrubs and grasses provide valuable wildlife habitat. Consider adding wildlife friendly elements like bird feeders, a water feature such as a bird bath or pond, and habitat for toads.
When in our natural areas, do not feed the wildlife. Human food is not suitable for their diet and dependence on humans reduces their ability to forge in the wild.
Please leash your dog and keep your cat indoors to protect both your pet and area wildlife.
Slow down and use caution when approaching waterfowl crossing zones. This is particularly important during the spring when the birds have young ones. Even the adults are not able to fly during this period due to annual molting of their feathers. Turtles will also cross the road during the mating season to find a sandy spot to lay their eggs. If you see a turtle on the road, please feel free to assist it but make sure that you put it on the side of the road in which it was headed or it will just attempt to cross again. Please note that fall is the most active time for deer on our roadways as this is their mating or "rutting" season.
Shop at reputable suppliers for fish bait to avoid introducing alien species into our waters and never empty aquariums into local waterways.
All fishing is subject to provincial regulation. Please respect fishing seasons and rules.
If you find a bird or animal that you think is in distress, seek expert guidance before you intervene. Most "abandoned' young are really under the protection of their parent. It is best to leave them alone. If you are not sure, call the Toronto Wildlife Centre for advice. (416) 631-0662.

Top of Page

Protecting Our Air

Although our air may seem like a healthy change from the city, our increasing population will increase vehicle emissions and other pollutants. We can limit this impact by our personal actions.

Adding trees to our property increases the earth's ability to absorb the carbon dioxide that we produce.
Although it may be necessary to warm up the car on a cold day, limiting car idling is important to spare the air.
Walking or biking to local stores can be a fun family outing and will help curb harmful emissions that would have been produced by the car for the trip.
Shopping at local farmers' stalls or markets reduces the need for truck transportation with the inevitable emissions and supports local agriculture. Such a trip can be a wonderful family outing that will help teach or reinforce with the young folks that food does not originate in a supermarket Where possible, look for locally produced food in the stores all year long. The same is true for wine and Ontario has some of the best in the world. York Region farm markets can be found at: www.yorktourism.com/Farm+Fresh/Default+Farm+Fresh.htm
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! It takes far less energy to produce goods from recycled goods than from raw materials. Also many items that can be recycled create toxic problems when sent to landfill or incineration.
Explore all of the options to reduce your energy consumption thus green house gas emissions. The Windfall Ecology Centre has many helpful tips at: www.windfallcentre.ca/default/index.php?section=Home&page=Homepage&vrs

We hope that these tidbits sparked your interest and appetite for more. Explore our Resource Links for a whole host of additional information.

Top of Page