Advocacy Committee

Project Swallowtail’s Advocacy Committee works on various issues (e.g., bylaw enforcement reform,
municipal policies and practices related to leaf collection, prioritizing native species in municipal tree choices
for residents, impacts of honeybees on wild bees), and has recently added mosquito spraying to the list of
issues the Committee is researching. The Committee is concerned that residential use of mosquito spraying
companies is on the increase and that this negatively affects all insect life, including pollinators. At this stage,
the Committee is compiling information and doing outreach to various scientists, organizations, and experts
on pesticide use and impacts. We are also exploring alternatives to mosquito spraying. If you have
information to contribute or resources to recommend to the Committee, please email projectswallowtail@gmail.com.

Block Ambassadors

Block Ambassadors are the heart of Project Swallowtail. People with the interest and passion to spread the joy of pollinator habitat creation are encouraged to become Block Ambassadors for the project. Through training and access to resources and community connections, we hope to empower YOU to empower others!

Visit the Project Swallowtail webpage if you are interested in becoming a Block Ambassador for your neighbourhood.

Watch a showcase of current Block Ambassadors to get a sense of the breadth of amazing work they do, and get some ideas of your own!

Review this video on what benefits there are to being a BA, how the project can support you, and how you can make an impact on pollinator habitat in your environment!

Seed Sitters

Thanks to an ongoing partnership between the David Suzuki Foundation and Pollinator Partnership Canada, in October 2020 the first group of Seed Sitters through Project Swallowtail undertook an overwintering journey with native plant seeds in Toronto. Guided by the knowledge of expert native plant grower Peter Ewins, 40 participants grew over 2,000 plants that were planted all across Toronto during the spring and summer of 2021. Thousands more were planted over the next 3 years, and countless other plants will continue to “volunteer”!

This project is currently only active in the GTA. Please go to the Project Swallowtail website for up-to-date information.