City launches new guide for ecological gardening

Coun. Jo-Dee Burbach introduces Nature in the City at the Local Community Food Centre on April 23. The free publication is a guide for gardening and living in an interconnected Festival City.

CONNOR LUCZKA, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Just in time for a much-anticipated spring, a group of local experts has launched a new and free publication to help all Stratforders be more environmentally conscious while gardening.

Nature in the City: A Guide to Ecological Gardening in Stratford, Ontario is a new publication for residents, courtesy of the City of Stratford’s energy and environment (E&E) advisory committee and a host of environmentally-minded citizen contributors. It was launched on April 23 at an event at the Local Community Food Centre.

As Autumn Loosemore, climate change program manager with the city, wrote in her forward, the book means to provide guidance on how to live and garden in an interconnected world.

“Every resident has a meaningful role in shaping a healthier, more resilient Stratford,” Loosemore wrote. “By planting native trees, shrubs and wildflowers in our yards, gardens and shared spaces, we help strengthen the city’s natural systems.

“In nature, everything is connected; native plants support biodiversity, provide habitat for pollinators, conserve water and increase carbon sequestration. By adopting these nature-based solutions, we create multiple benefits that together enhance our community’s capacity to adapt to a changing climate.”

As espoused in the publication, by gardening with an ecological approach (being mindful of the interconnection between all things), citizens can play an important part in the protection of their local habitat: the air they breathe, the land they share and the water that sustains them. It lists local flora species suitable for supporting native butterfly populations, wildflowers, threats to Perth County’s soil (and tips to maintaining healthy soil), as well as methods for conserving water, among other tips.

Nature in the City was written by Julia Schneider and Anna Stratton, edited by Schneider. Local experts like Joe Salter, Vanni Azzano, Lucas Tingle, Don Farwell, Antony John and Barb Hacking provided their expertise to each of the sections: water, soil, wildlife and plants, birds and butterflies.

It is available for free at the city clerk’s office in Stratford City Hall.