From Milkweed to Monarchs

with Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.

Did you know that monarch butterflies migrate 4,800km each year from Canada to Mexico? Join us for this hands-on workshop to learn how milkweed plants help support this journey and have a chance to plant your own! Learn about our experimental gardens at Bentway Staging Grounds and the opportunities of urban ecology.

Join us for an introduction to the features, functions, and possibilities of Bentway Staging Grounds through this eco workshop presented with Toronto and Region Conservation Authority!

Bentway Staging Grounds is a public space pilot that transforms the area below the Gardiner Expressway at Dan Leckie Way into a living laboratory, offering opportunities to learn about urban ecology. Specially designed experimental gardens filter rainwater run-off from the highway above to support the growth of flowering native plant species and benefit the local environment.

Explore public space through an environmental lens through this interactive workshop in September.

Did you know that monarch butterflies migrate 4,800 km from Canada to Mexico every fall and pass though our urban environment, including Staging Grounds and Canoe Landing Park? Join us to see some of these monarchs in action! Workshop participants will learn about the special relationship between monarchs and the native plants that grow at Staging Grounds, including milkweed, and how certain plants support monarchs’ fascinating transformation from egg to a butterfly, as well as their annual migration.

At the end of the program, all participants will have the opportunity to plant milkweed seeds in paper pots to take home to contribute to monarch habitats in their own outdoor spaces.

Free Registration

What to Expect:

This event is suitable for ages 6 and up.
Youth under age 16 must be accompanied by a caregiver.
All skills levels are welcome – no planting experience necessary.
All materials provided.
This event is held at Bentway Staging Grounds, an outdoor space under the Gardiner Expressway.
Participants may be invited to walk over uneven, large rocks on site.
The event will include a short walk through Canoe Landing Park. The path is paved but does include a small incline.
Please wear sturdy shoes (closed toe shoes are recommended) and appropriate outerwear.
During this event, accessible public washrooms are available nearby at The Bentway Studio (55 Fort York Blvd), about a 5 minute walk away.
Bentway Staging Grounds is accessible to mobility devices; visitors enter onto a series of walkways approx. 7ft wide.

Learn more about Bentway Staging Grounds planters from Horticultural Consultant Isaac Crosby (Brother Nature).