Habitat Restoration Projects
Wetlands support an abundance of biodiversity and are home to approximately 20% of Ontario’s Species-At-Risk, including the beloved Blanding’s turtles! However, these delicate ecosystems are at great risk of degradation and destruction. Less than 30% of southern Ontario’s original wetlands remain, and this number drops down to 10% in the Niagara and Greater Toronto Area. To help protect Ontario’s wetlands, Adopt-A-Pond has participated in many restoration projects at the Toronto Zoo and beyond.
Sitting on 710 acres of the Rouge Valley, the Toronto Zoo makes a great effort to keep this land as natural as possible. To help maintain natural wetland habitat within the Zoo, Adopt-A-Pond has contributed to the construction and restoration of six on-site ponds since 2013. These ponds vary in their size and role in the ecosystem, but all have been observed being used by local wildlife! Our largest projects were the restoration of Weston Pond, which you can visit in the Canadian Domain, and the restoration of the Canadian Wetlands habitat, which you can find near the Tundra Trek and Eurasia Wilds. Both projects provide vital habitat for Species-At-Risk and an opportunity for guests to learn about local wildlife.

Photo: Weston Pond prior to restoration work in 2014 compared to post-restoration in 2021.
Adopt-A-Pond has also taken part in restoration projects throughout Rouge National Urban Park prior to the start of our Blanding’s Turtle Headstarting Project. When releasing wildlife, it’s important to release them into a healthy habitat and ecosystem to provide the best chance of survival for the population. For this reason, Adopt-A-Pond along with Parks Canada, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry identified areas of concern in the Rouge Valley and implemented a restoration project to improve the quality of habitat for all wildlife, including headstarted Blanding’s turtles.
Over the years, we have been fortunate to work with community members and organizations to protect vital wetlands across Ontario. Most of our restoration projects started with concerned community members reaching out and volunteering to help restore and create wetland habitats in their areas. With the support of the community, Adopt-A-Pond has created several nesting and overwintering sites for reptiles, co-hosted shoreline cleanups, removed invasive species, and reintroduced native species to the ecosystem. Our work would not be possible without the passion of our dedicated community, and we strive to foster this passion by connecting people, animals, and conservation science to fight extinction.