Enhancements coming to popular park in Mississauga

 

With COVID-19 indefinitely closing many public spaces in Mississauga (and businesses opening more slowly in the GTA), a lot of people have chosen to spend more time at parks and outdoor spaces.

Fortunately for those who visit one of Mississauga's biggest parks, enhancements are coming thanks to a substantial grant. 

The Riverwood Conservancy (TRC) recently announced that it received over $200,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) to make enhancements to its environmental conservation and restoration projects within Riverwood Park.

TRC is a charity that provides programs and direction for Riverwood Park, a 150-acre, urban nature preserve situated on the shores of the Credit River in Mississauga.

The OTF grant for $213,800 will support projects at Riverwood from September 2020 through August 2023.

TRC says the grant will help TRC expand the types of conservation work volunteers engage in and give volunteers the opportunity to take part in wildlife monitoring and citizen science.

"We're really looking forward to giving our volunteers even more engaging activities so they can really see the impact of their work," said Derek Stone, Conservation Specialist at The Riverwood Conservancy, in a statement. 

"Volunteers will be able to monitor native plant survival and record their wildlife sightings so they can see the difference they're making on the health of our local ecosystems."

The Riverwood Conservancy's grant application, and the OTF's approval of the application, were completed before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Restoration projects and volunteer activities on site will commence only when public health guidelines allow, and proper safety precautions will be implemented when work begins.