Neighbourhood greening projects may include:
- Pollinator projects
- Wildlife habitat creation
- Education programs
- Food forests
- Community clean-ups
- Stormwater management
- Tree planting and care
Depending on the neighbourhood greening project you choose, benefits may include:
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Creating a more sustainable neighbourhood
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Promoting biodiversity and improving air quality
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Improving the overall look and feel of green spaces
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An opportunity for residents to work together
Help bring your neighbourhood to life by planning one of the neighbourhood greening projects covered in this guide, or by developing your own idea to make your neighbourhood greener!
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There are many ways to lead greening projects in your neighbourhood.
While we’ve identified a few ways you can enhance and care for green spaces in your neighbourhood, you may have an entirely different greening project in mind.
To get started, connect with City staff today for more resources, support and information.
Food Forests
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Food forests feature edible plantings, such as berry bushes, fruit trees and herbs. Unlike community gardens, food forests do not require as much upkeep.
Some questions to consider when planning a pollinator project include:
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Where will the project be located?
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How much maintenance can your group commit to?
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How big is your project? The size of your project may depend on location and available space.
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Tree Planting and Care
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A sustainable urban forest can only be achieved when residents, City staff and community organizations work together!
This year, LoveMyHood will support resident groups who are interested in making their community a little bit greener through a neighbourhood-wide tree planting pilot.
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Pollinator Projects
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As a resident, you can create and maintain your very own pollinator patch, wildflower meadow or pollinator-friendly planter boxes in your neighbourhood with the help of City staff.
Pollinator projects can be a great, low-maintenance way to provide wildlife habitats and create a positive impact for pollinators in the city.
Some questions to consider when planning a pollinator project include:
- Where will the project be located?
City staff can provide more information and resources, including:
- A list of project steps.
- A list of recommended native plants.
- A list of tools and equipment that may be required to complete this project.
- Criteria for selecting an appropriate location.
We can also provide you with a full list recommended native plants for pollinators, including information on:
- Required sun
- Relative plant heights
- Required moisture
- Blooming periods
- Bloom colours
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Wildlife Habitat Creations
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Residents leading pollinator projects may also be interested in including habitat areas, too. Habitat areas may include bird and bat houses or bee boxes.
Similar to pollinator projects, there are a few things you should consider before planning a wildlife habitat project:
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Will where the project be located?
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How much maintenance can your group commit to?
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How big of a project do you want to undertake? Again, this may depend on the location and space.
When planning a wildlife habitat project on city land, staff can provide assistance with:
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Education Programs
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Residents can enhance their pollinator or wildlife habitat projects through education programs, including:
Education programs can be developed in response to the location of the project and with assistance from Kitchener's Natural Areas Program (KNAP).
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Community Clean-Ups
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Greening your neighbourhood can be as simple as organizing a clean-up with your neighbours. To organize a community clean-up in your neighbourhood, follow these steps:
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First, determine the date and location of clean-up, and estimate how many people will be participating.
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Register your clean-up online.
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When registering online, choose from one of our eleven Community Centre locations to pick up your supplies from.
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Pick up your supplies at the Community Centre of your choice. Be sure to bring a reusable box or bag to pack and transport your clean-up supplies.
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Prior to the day of your clean-up, download or ask City staff for a copy of our Community Clean-up Tip Sheet and Sharps Awareness form to share with your group.
- After your clean-up, call 519-741-2345 to request that your full bags be picked up.
For more information, visit the Community Clean-ups page.
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Stormwater Management
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With the help of a LoveMyHood grant and consultation with city staff, neighbours can develop a number of projects that work to conserve and clean fresh water throughout our city, including:
| Rain Gardens |
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Rain gardens are shallow, sunken gardens that can be planted with a combination of shrubs, grasses and flowers. While they may look like a regular garden, they have a loose, deep soil underneath that helps to absorb rainwater.
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| Soakaways |
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Soakaways are small underground reservoirs that collect rainwater run-off by slowly soaking it into the surrounding soil.
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| Naturalization |
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Create dynamic, natural landscapes with native plants to help absorb rainwater in grassy areas.
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| Rain Barrels |
| Rain barrels are installed at the bottom of a downspout in order to collect rainwater that flows off the roof of a building, storing it for later use. Rain barrels come in a variety of sizes and colours, and can easily incorporated into an existing landscape. |
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Some questions you’ll want to consider before choosing your project include:
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How much space do you have?
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How much maintenance can your group commit to doing?
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How big of a project do you want to undertake? The size of your project may depend on location and space.
City staff can provide more tools and resources, including:
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Budget templates.
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Cost estimate worksheets.
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A list of tools, equipment and materials required.
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Grids to sketch your desired layout and design.
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A list of project steps.
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