Environmental Stewardship

Go GREEN with the Environmental Stewardship Team

The Environmental Stewardship Division of the Community Services Department works with communities, groups and individuals to promote sustainable living, environmental protection and education throughout the municipality. We work to develop community programs and initiatives to increase environmental awareness, engage the community in environmental projects and establish new partnerships. Township staff offers assistance with project development and coordination, fundraising and marketing.

Ongoing Projects

Delivering community education programs and workshops in partnership with various organizations
Subsidizing compostable food service products to community groups
Tall Grass Prairie Restoration initiative
Reducing mowing by increasing naturalization through tree, shrub and wildflower plantings
Terrestrial invasive species monitoring and mapping throughout King Township
Increasing educational signage throughout the municipality
Enhancing existing and creating new habitats for pollinators in parks, gardens and naturalized areas to support our Bee City Certification & Mayors Monarch Pledge
Identify new environmental funding opportunities

To learn more about the Township's Greening Initiatives or to find out how you can help, call 905-833-6555 or email environmentalstewardship@king.ca.

Greening Initiatives

Woodchip Giveaway
From June 1 to June 30, free woodchips are available for pick-up Monday to Sunday between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Cold Creek Conservation Area located (14125 11th Concession) in Nobleton.
The woodchip pile is located in the south west corner of the Visitors Centre Parking Lot. It is self-serve, while quantities last. For more information, email environmentalstewardship@king.ca or call 905-833-6555.
Burlap Kit Giveaway Days
Get a head start and help protect your trees from Spongy Moth/LDD this year. Come out to a community event listed below and pick up a free burlap kit from the Township of King table and learn about what you can do to help your trees. Each kit includes burlap, twine, and instructions. One kit per resident. For more information, email environmentalstewardship@king.ca or call 905-833-6555.
Spongy Moth
Lymantria dispar dispar (LDD), also known as Spongy Moth, is an invasive insect that has been found throughout Ontario. LDD/Spongy Moth is a defoliating insect that prefers to feed on the leaves of hardwood species causing the trees to lose some or in extreme cases, all their canopy. LDD/ Spongy Moth outbreaks are cyclical and generally surges every 7 to 10 years. Favoured tree species include oak, birch, poplar, willow and maple. Learn more by visiting our Spongy Moth section.
Inquiries
For more information, email environmentalstewardship@king.ca, call 905-833-6555 or visit the Community Events Calendar.
Take a step towards greening your yard this spring and supporting pollinators. Register today to purchase a wildflower kit, rain barrel or backyard composter. Registration closes on Friday, May 13. Pick up will be available on Thursday, May 26 between 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Schomberg Parks Depot (251 Western Avenue, Schomberg).
Wildflower Kits:
Wildflower kits include 10 native wildflowers, 1 pack of native wildflower seeds and gardening resources to help you get started. Limited quantities available. There is a limit of 1 wildflower kit per person. Species may vary. Species include Wild Bergamot, Cylindric Blazing Star, Lance Leaved Coreopsis, Common Milkweed , Black Eyed Susan, Wild Strawberry, Pale Purple Coneflower.
Wildflower Kit Fee:
Non Resident: $38 + HST
Resident: $35 + HST
To reserve a wildflower kit, please register by visiting townshipofking.perfectmind.com. Use code 13826.
Rain Barrel & Backyard Composter:
To purchase a rain barrel or composter please visit https://www.king.ca/onlineservices.
For more information contact environmentalstewardship@king.ca or call 905-833-6555.
In an effort to divert textiles currently going to the landfill in Township of King, we are proud to offer a community textile diversion program in partnership with Diabetes Canada. The Township of King textile donation bins are conveniently located at community facilities providing secure, 24/7 access for the donations of all used textiles. Since March 2017, King has diverted 198, 941 lbs of textiles from landfill sites. In 2021, King diverted 55,185 lbs of textiles from landfill sites.
Click here to learn more about what items are accepted and other ways to donate including scheduled pick ups.
Please remember that our textile donations bins are meant for textile donations only. We kindly ask that you place items inside the textile bins and do not leave items outside the bins as they will end up in the landfill due to the affects of inclement weather.
Every year, Diabetes Canada spends approximately $200,000 to clean garbage around the bins. Textile Donation Bins only accept textiles, no dumping of household materials.
Take advantage of the Township's free battery recycling program!
All batteries are sorted by type (alkaline, lithium, etc.) and recycled for their respective elements (metal, zinc, manganese, etc.). All standard single-use batteries are accepted, including AA, D, 9V, button cell, etc. Rechargeable batteries are not currently accepted.
Batteries contain heavy metals and other toxic chemicals, which mean they have traditionally been handled as toxic waste. Recycling these materials allows them to be reused or disposed of properly, which keeps them out of landfill. The Township's new battery recycling bins allow you to conveniently dispose of your used batteries, while doing your part to help protect our environment.
For safety purposes, please place leaking batteries in a sealed plastic bag, and cover the terminals of lithium batteries with tape before dropping them off in the bins.

Drop Off Locations:
- Dr. William Laceby Nobleton Community Centre & Arena - 15 Old King Road, Nobleton
- King Heritage & Cultural Centre - 2920 King Road, King City
- King Township Municipal Centre - 2585 King Road, King City
- Trisan Centre - 25 Dillane Drive, Schomberg
King Township is the Ninth Bee City in Canada!
The goal of the Bee City Canada certification is to provide and promote healthy, sustainable habitats for bees and other pollinator species. Bees and other pollinators around the globe have experienced declines due to a combination of environmental factors that have serious implications for the future health of flora and fauna. Bee City Canada encourages municipalities and their residents to support bees and other pollinators on both public and private land by fostering environmental awareness around this issue.
The Township of King is commitment to helping pollinators! King Township is enhancing existing and creating new habitats for pollinators in parks, gardens and naturalized areas. Designating the Township of King as a Bee City will demonstrate the Township's commitment towards increasing pollinator awareness, protection and conservation. Becoming recognized as a Bee City will further contribute to the Integrated Community Sustainability Plan. Bee City Certification will reinforce the goals of the King's Integrated Community Sustainability Plan by fostering community engagement and education and supporting healthy ecosystems and food sources.
Bee City Resolution Bee City Application
Visit Bee City Canada for more information on our accreditation and to see what other municipalities are doing to support bees!
The Township of King is one of the nine municipalities that make up the Regional Municipality of York. With a total area of 339 km2 the Township is home to some of the province’s most scenic landscapes and country sides. The municipality falls within the Greenbelt and Oak Ridges Moraine and possesses a large amount of natural and ecological significance.
The Township of King is committed to conserving and enhancing pollinator and monarch habitat through native wildflower plantings, wildflower and milkweed seed giveaways, educational workshops, signage, citizen science monitoring, programming as well as nature-based education. Participating in the Mayors Monarch pledge directly aligns with municipal priorities while also supporting Environmental Stewardship initiatives focused on educating and engaging residents and enhancing monarch and pollinator habitat.
2022 Actions
Communications and Convening
- Create a community art project to enhance and promote monarch and pollinator conservation as well as cultural awareness and recognition.
- Engage with gardening leaders and partners (e.g., Master Naturalists, Master Gardeners, Nature Centres, Native Plant Society Chapters, other long-standing and influential community leaders) to support monarch butterfly conservation.
- Engage with city parks and recreation, public works, sustainability, and other relevant staff to identify opportunities to revise and maintain mowing programs and milkweed / native nectar plant planting programs.
- Engage with community garden groups and urge them to plant native milkweeds and nectar-producing plants.
- Launch or maintain a public communication effort to encourage residents to plant monarch gardens at their homes or in their neighbourhoods. (If you have community members who speak a language other than English, we encourage you to also communicate in that language; Champion Pledges must communicate in that language).
Program and Demonstration Gardens
- Display educational signage at monarch gardens and pollinator habitat.
- Launch, expand, or continue an invasive species removal program that will support the re-establishment of native habitats for monarch butterflies and other pollinators.
- Add or maintain native milkweed and nectar producing plants in community gardens.
- Initiate or support community science (or citizen science) efforts that help monitor monarch migration and health.
- Launch or maintain an outdoor education program(s) (e.g., at schools, after-school programs, community centres and groups) that builds awareness and creates habitat by engaging students, educators, and the community in planting native milkweed and pollinator-friendly native nectar plants (i.e., National Wildlife Federation’s Eco-Schools USA Schoolyard Habitats program and Monarch Mission curriculum).
- Plant or maintain a monarch and pollinator-friendly demonstration garden at City Hall or another prominent or culturally significant community location.
- Facilitate or support a milkweed seed collection and propagation effort.
- Host or support a native seed or plant sale, giveaway or swap.
Systems Change
- Integrate monarch butterfly conservation into the city’s Park Master Plan, Sustainability Plan, Climate Resiliency Plan or other city plans.
- Direct city property managers to consider the use of native milkweed and nectar plants at city properties where possible.
- Change weed or mowing ordinances to allow for native prairie and plant habitats.
2021 Recognition Status
Participating municipalities are required to complete a minimum of three actions annually from the National NWF list of 24 actions for municipalities. In 2021, the Township of King received Leadership Circle recognition which is awarded to participants who complete eight or more actions.

Mayors' Monarch Pledge Resolution
Mayors' Monarch Pledge Report to Council
To learn more about the Mayors' Monarch Pledge visit The National Wildlife Federation.
The Township of King has partnered with the King Township Public Library to offer a Community Seed Saving & Lending program. You can now borrow and donate seeds. You don't require a library membership to borrow seeds. All you have to do is visit the Schomberg Library and fill out a check-out form listing the seed packets you are borrowing. To request a list of seeds available through the program, email environmentalstewardship@king.ca or call 905-833-5321 ext. 6555.
Seed Pick Up Location
Schomberg Library - 77 Main Street, Schomberg L0G1T0
Easy Steps to Save Seeds
Once your plants are mature, save the seeds! Return the seeds you save to the seed library where you will fill out a donation form with all the necessary information about the seeds. Once we have collected a variety of seeds our goal is to launch a Community Seed Library. By borrowing, growing, and returning seeds, you're helping to ensure that our community has access to an affordable, diverse seed collection.
Gather Seeds
- If you are collecting and saving seeds from your own plants, spread the seeds on newspaper and air-dry them for roughly a week
- Write seed names on the newspaper so that there's no mix up as to what the seeds are
- Once the seeds are all dried, pack them into small paper packets or envelopes and label them with the plant name, the date and location of harvest! (Most seeds last for three years)
Keep Seeds Dry
- To help keep the seeds dry, place rice grains inside the storage container with the seed packets
- You can also add a packet of silica gel in with the seeds. Replace every six months
Where & How to Store
- Keep seed packets in plastic food storage bags, plastic film canisters, mason jars with tight lids or paper envelopes
- Once you have gotten your storing container, think dry and cool no matter where you store the seeds
- Because humidity and warmth shorten a seed's shelf life, the refrigerator is generally the best place to store seeds, but make sure to keep the seed-storage containers well away from the freezer section of the refrigerator
Ready to Go
- When you're ready to plant, remove seed containers from the refrigerator and keep them closed until the seeds warm to room temperature. Otherwise, moisture in the air will condense on the seeds, causing them to clump and stick together
- It is important to remember that even if you are very organized and careful about storing seeds, accept the fact the some will not germinate the following year
Seed Donation Location
The Seed Saving & Lending Program relies on donations and seed savers. Participants signing out seeds are encouraged to seed save and contribute harvested seeds back to the program. If you have seeds that you would like to contribute to the Seed Saving & Lending Program, email environmentalstewardship@king.ca or call 905-833-5321 to arrange a drop off at the King Municipal Centre 2585 King Road, King City L7B 1A1.
Please Note: Not all seeds are certified organic.
Additional Seed Saving Resources
Check out these online resources to learn more about seed saving:
There are some plants you should avoid planting in your yard or garden because they can take over, out compete native plants and spread to other areas. Invasive plants are non-native species that displace naturally occurring plants and can completely alter an ecosystem. Invasive vegetation poses a variety of threats to the natural environment such as the degradation of natural areas, reduced forest productivity and species richness, and adverse impacts on recreation and aesthetics. Instead, consider planting native vegetation. Native plants are well adjusted to local climate, require less water and maintenance. Growing native plants and trees on your property will enhance biodiversity, support pollinators, and reduce invasive species. Planting native is beneficial to local wildlife and pollinator species providing food and habitat.
Click here to view the Invasive Forest Pest & Disease Quick Reference Guide for more information.
Phragmites Good News Story
Get Involved
Residents can help map the distribution of invasive species present throughout the municipality. Sightings of terrestrial invasive plants growing within King Township can be mapped using King Mapping Software. By reporting sightings staff can identify what plants are present within King, the location of the species, control methods and the severity of the infestation. Mapping the distribution of invasive species will help Township staff monitor and mitigate the spread of invasive plants throughout the municipality. Mapping the distribution of terrestrial invasive plant species can be conducted on all property types including municipal lands, conservation lands, natural areas, green spaces and residential properties.

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