Birkdale Ravine Invasive Species Removal
In Partnership With Toronto Nature Stewards
This Invasive Species Plant Removal event could not have been possible without the invaluable help of Toronto Nature Stewards (TNS)! During our event, TNS offered resources and guidance on the safe removal of invasive plant species, and encouraged community members to take direct action in environmental restoration.
June 1, 2025
9:30AM - 1:30PM
Event Details
Birkdale Ravine’s native species and ecosystem are regrettably filled with many invasive plant species, one of them being the garlic mustard plant.
To combat the spread of these invasive species, HNP Canada held an invasive plant species removal event at Birkdale Ravine with the goal of protecting the park’s ecosystem. This event took place on Sunday, June 1 , 2025 in collaboration with Toronto Nature Stewards (TNS).
As one of Canada’s most aggressive forest invaders, garlic mustard threatens the biodiversity in a wide range of habitats. Garlic mustard disrupts ecosystems by outcompeting native plants and interfering with the fungi that provide nutrients to the roots of native plants. This overshadowing of native plants render garlic mustard a threat to many
regions in Canada due to its seeds that get dispersed by the wind (Invasive
Species Centre, 2024).
During the removal, there was a lot of work to be done, but through the combined efforts of our volunteers, HNP Canada’s executive team members and lead stewards from TNS, the spread of invasive plant species was significantly slowed in the Birkdale Ravine Area! Thank you to our Participants, who collected a total of 13 bags of invasive plants and earned a total of around 76 volunteer hours!​