Invasive Plant Species Removals
Invasive species are one of the greatest threats to biodiversity and HNP Canada has worked directly to address this issue in local ecosystems. To do so, we have collaborated with two organizations: Toronto Nature Stewards (TNS) and Credit Valley Conservation (CVC). TNS is a volunteer-driven organization dedicated to protecting Toronto’s ravines and restoring native plant habitats whereas CVC is a leading environmental agency focused on safeguarding the health of watersheds and green spaces across the Credit River area.
In collaboration with these two organizations, HNP Canada’s volunteers have rolled up their sleeves over the past five years at sites such as Topham Pond, Severn Creek, Rattray Marsh Conservation Area and the Don Valley. Together, HNP Canada has been able to remove over 2000 invasive plants, allowing native species to thrive. Each event doubles as a hands-on ecology lesson where volunteers learn to recognize invasive plant species and understand their impact on ecosystems. These efforts have not only restored balance in nature but also equipped volunteers with knowledge they can bring back to their own communities and networks.
So far, HNP Canada has been able to remove numerous invasive plant species including: wood aven, burdock, celandine, common buckthorn, garlic mustard, English ivy, hedge parsley, motherwort, and dog-strangling vines.
Our Impact
6
Invasive Plant Species Removal Events Held
56+
Bags Worth of Invasive Species Removed
242+
Volunteers
18+
Types of Invasive Species Removed
12+
Schools Reached
1,102+
Volunteer Hours Distributed
Testimonials: Here Is What Our Community Has To Say...
“It made me understand how people have to differentiate species because not all of them are useful. I started looking for other such kinds of invasive plants so that I can contribute to more [of a] healthy and clear environment, free from invasive species.”
- Anonymous (October 2025; Tree Planting Event Volunteer at Preserve Woods)
“On my way to home, I have seen those species in a lot of places. They look like normal and beautiful plants. And after I saw them I have told some of my neighbors about it which helped them on removing it.”
- Anonymous (October 2025; Tree Planting Event
Volunteer at Preserve Woods)
“Through the events that HNP held [...], attending in these events led me to gain interest in environmental activism and its hard work being done by HNP and the stewards and developed respect and consciousness for those people. This event also led me to change my daily habits where I used to pick native flowers and plants if it looked beautiful or aesthetic. I now accumulated knowledge that this behaviour causes harm to the native species, which led me to change my daily behaviour/habit on picking flowers.” - Anonymous (June 2025; Tree Planting Event Volunteer at Peelton Hills)
“Before I attended this event, I had no knowledge of which plant species are invasive or not. Now I know like the Garlic Mustard, English Ivy, etc.” - Anonymous (June 2025; Tree Planting Event Volunteer at Peelton Hills)