Monitoring for The Meadoway

Transformative is the word most often used to describe The Meadoway project in Scarborough.

Led by Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), in partnership with City of Toronto and the Weston Family Foundation, the plan is to convert 16 kilometres of hydro corridor into a place filled with butterflies, birds and wildflowers – a rich meadow landscape realized on a scale never before seen in the history of Toronto.

TRCA is closely monitoring the evolution of this landscape and the species that will occupy it. TRCA’s Terrestrial Monitoring and Inventories team team has been involved with The Meadoway project since 2016, when long-term vegetation plots, butterfly monitoring transects, and breeding bird count surveys were initiated. Monitoring continues yearly.

The ground-breaking Meadoway project will also serve as a model for future meadow restoration projects. TRCA has, for example, been building its capacity through this project by embarking on a new type of monitoring: butterfly counts.

In a butterfly count, the presence or absence of butterfly species and their abundance is monitored over the course of four visits during the warmer months.

The average butterfly lifespan is only about 10 days, and the flight period for most species is only a month. By conducting monitoring on the same dates over a period of several years, it is possible to compile a list of species.

“Butterflies have long served as indicators of a healthy environment,” says Mike King, one of the biologists involved in The Meadoway project monitoring. “Not only are many species sensitive to habitat disturbances, but many have very specific habitat requirements, such as relying on one specific plant species.”

Some butterfly caterpillars are specialists: that is, a species may feed exclusively on one or several closely related species of plant. For example, Monarch butterfly caterpillars feed only on milkweed plants in meadows and open areas.

Conversely, adult butterflies are generalists rather than specialists: they sip nectar from many different plants, or may even feed on sap, mud, rotting fruit, carrion or dung.

In order to attract and sustain resident butterflies, The Meadoway will need to incorporate a diversity of wildflowers, grasses, shrubs and trees known to support many different butterfly species throughout their life cycles. (Reference: Butterflies of Toronto, City of Toronto Biodiversity Series 2011)

From the habitat created, to the scientific knowledge gained through monitoring, to the community-building that will take place, The Meadoway project will showcase a new reality for environmental collaboration, and will redefine the meaning of a community connected through conservation.

About The Meadoway

Beyond the recreational and community-building opportunities provided by The Meadoway’s multi-use trail, the project aims to provide necessary east-west connections to the well-established north-south ravine systems in Toronto, while connecting greenspaces across the east end of the GTA.

Work in the hydro corridor began in 2012, with the launch of two pilot projects funded by the Weston Family Parks Challenge.

Approximately 160 acres have been revitalized to date with meadow habitat, a multi-use trail and urban gardens.

The ecological benefits of extending the meadow habitat include:

• Supporting pollinators in the region, which are increasingly at risk
• Creating food sources for butterflies
• Providing resident birds with cover to nest and rear their young
• Offering migratory birds a place to stopover

Butterflies of the GTA

Reference: Butterflies of Toronto, City of Toronto Biodiversity Series 2011

Butterflies are found in many habitats throughout the GTA, including forested ravines, wetlands, meadows and savannahs.

In order to maintain Toronto’s butterfly biodiversity, it is essential to preserve special habitats such as meadows and woodlands that support the wild host plants of caterpillars.

You can get involved in pollinator habitat projects in your community park or greenspace by participating in local planting and restoration events. Browse TRCA events.

Some of the butterflies found in The Meadoway head south for warmer climates in the winter months. These species are known as “migrants”: They come to Toronto for the warmer months but (with rare exceptions) do not stay year-round.

Some examples:

“Resident” species, meanwhile, are those of which at least one stage of the species may be found year-round in the Toronto area.

Some examples:

Scientific data collection and research informs decisions affecting the natural areas and watercourses within our region. Connect with TRCA online.