Toronto Shorelines

I would like to introduce a province-wide conservation program that I'm participating in. The program is called Adopt-A-Pond and is developed and administered in partnership by Environment Canada's Nature Watch program, the Ontario Government's Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC) and the Toronto Zoo Wetland conservation program.  The pond I have adopted is situated along the Scarborough shoreline, beside the Guildwood beach and I've now listed it as the official location for Frog Watch Ontario and Ontario Turtle Tally. It's a small pond, with a rough circumference of 400 ft and at its deepest point may only be 4-5 ft deep. The pond sits near a beach at the base of the bluffs, at the end of a service road. For the purpose of this project, I have (unofficially) named it Guildwood Pond.  I will be visiting the pond at least 3 times a week in the spring to report sightings on a routine schedule and whether there are frog...

We're very pleased to be offering this walk along the beach with you on Sunday April 9th at 2 pm. We look forward to sharing the unique features of East Point and Grey Abbey with you!  This 3 km sand beach along the Scarborough Bluffs is a natural area completely uninterrupted by development.  The shoreline has been shaped by the elements of wind and water over time, and the sand beach has accumulated by the silty clay of the bluffs that have eroded, collected and gathered on the shore. This area is pretty much as natural as you will find, and it's quite the accomplishment to have in an urban area.  Come walk the beach and learn why this area may become one of Toronto's most celebrated regional attractions of the future. • As you walk the sand beach, the only sounds to be heard will be that of the waves rolling onto the shore beside you. This walk is an acoustic delight, offering you a well-dese...

Thank you to everyone that joined our recent walking tour of Grey Abbey Park and Ravine. The walking tour was well attended and even in the extreme cold, we had a group of 34 guests! The crowd gathers, yet we patiently wait for our start time of 2 pm. After an introduction to the history of Grey Abbey, we proceed to enjoy the view of the lake It's a very cold windy day but it's worth it for the remarkable view of the shoreline all the way to East Point We're so pleased to meet so many wonderful people from the community and share our appreciation of this area. This is me (Jen Falvy), smiling as everyone enjoys the view of the lake. Photo credits Mike Melnechenko. Guildwood community member John Mason (on the upper left) sharing some of his knowledge of the shoreline and (second from the right) is Steve Smith who worked with me to arrange this walking tour. Jen Falvy walking through one of her favourite parts of Grey Abbey; the path throu...

Join us for our next walk through Grey Abbey Park in east Scarborough this March. As some of you were unable to attend the February walk due to the weather we thought it would be great to walk again! Grey Abbey Park  is an exceptional little park situated high upon the bluffs, at the foot of Morningside Avenue and Greyabbey Trail. This unique park, is often overlooked, yet is known to the local community for offering some of the most amazing  views of the lake - especially at this time of year when the leaves are down. The view to the east and west are completely unobstructed, offering a view as far as the eye can see.  In addition to the obvious attraction of the vistas, Grey Abbey has some other notable features and unique terrain that truly make this a park with some punch!  Where else can you: •  walk along  open and manicured grounds that may have remnants of a farm community from over 150 y...

Thank you everyone that came out on this snowy day for our walking tour. We were all bundled up well and made our way through the trails. It's a great workout walking through deep snow and the fresh air was wonderful. Unfortunately the snow was so heavy at the start of our tour that it you could not even see the lake. And it was right in front of us! This was not the open view we had expected, but it was delightful in it's own way...