Growing Together: Rewilders in the Downsview Greenhouse

Native plants are essential for creating thriving pollinator habitats—they provide food, shelter, and nesting sites for our local bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. To support and expand the number of native plants we grow for both our pollinator pathway gardens and community giveaways, Rewilders has begun growing plants in the volunteer greenhouse at Downsview Park.

This is an exciting new opportunity for us. The greenhouse is part of a collaborative space where multiple groups—including Don’t Mess With the Don, Project Swallowtail, Toronto Nature Stewards, and Downsview Park volunteers—are all working together to grow native species and share knowledge, resources, and strategies.

We’re still in the early stages and learning a lot as the project unfolds. Rewilders has started with 10 trays of native seeds, representing 10 different species. The controlled greenhouse environment helps speed up germination and gives us a better chance of producing strong, garden-ready plants by the end of May.

These plants will be used to fill in gaps across our existing Rewilders Pollinator Pathway gardens and, if all goes well, we hope to have enough to share with the community as well. In addition to the greenhouse, I’m continuing to grow 28 species in my backyard, as I have in previous years. These plants will also support Rewilders’ gardens, local community projects, and our annual giveaways. I’m even exploring the idea of selling a small number to help raise funds to support Rewilders' broader work.

We’re truly excited about the potential of the Downsview greenhouse—not just for what it allows us to grow, but for the spirit of collaboration and community engagement it fosters. By working alongside other passionate groups, we’re building more than gardens—we’re building connections and collective momentum toward a greener, more pollinator-friendly city.