Ash Grove Mississauga Plant Pollinator Gardens

About the Program
The Ash Grove Mississauga Cement Plant is located near the shore of Lake Ontario, approximately 20 miles southwest of Toronto. The pollinator garden and avian flyway projects are located on-site at the working cement plant, where cement and cementitious material are produced for construction. The site includes areas of forest, grassland and meadow, which have been enhanced to provide a flight corridor for migrating birds.

Practices and Impacts

• The team planted native trees, shrubs and herbs in the forest, grassland and meadow habitat to improve habitat structure for birds, attract insects for foraging, and provide cover for travel.
• A pollinator garden was created that replaces previously unmanaged acreage with a high cover of invasive species. Annual monitoring takes place, and management includes invasive species removal and plantings.
• The team added nest boxes specifically for the bank swallow, which has been affected by a loss of nesting habitat due to bank erosion. The team monitored the site in 2023 and uploaded the data to eBird.