Alton Village Community Gardens & Butterflyway

Welcome! 

The Alton Village Community Gardens and Butterflyway is an initiative of the Alton Village Association (AVA). We are a group of keen volunteers, residents and businesses, creating native habitat and community vegetable gardens that add colourful character to our neighbourhood, promote well-being and foster a spirit of community pride.  We work with the Town of Caledon and our conservation partners to help our community become more resilient to meet the environmental, economic and social challenges of climate change.

As we strive to meet our mission, goals and objectives, success will be measured by the fun we have, the knowledge we share and the beauty that we create.

We invite you to come garden with us!

What's Growing in 2026!


Planning is under way for this year's garden expansion, plantings and knowledge sharing. We are very grateful that our Application to the Town of Caledon - Climate Action Fund has been approved for full funding. The support is appreciated and will go a long way in helping us to build our community in a positive way. It will allow us to add two new raised bed gardens, three trellis to support squash, beans and provide visual interest, educational signage and improvement of communications online. It will also assist with the purchase of native plants and ongoing general maintenance of our gardens.

Our mission is to meet the objectives of the AVA, David Suzuki Foundation Butterflyway and the Resilient Caledon Climate Change Action Plan. 

Interested in how we got started and some of our accomplishments to date? Link here. 

Get your printer-friendly copy of the "Discovery Guide" Here

Volunteers


Our volunteers are the heart of our community. Some have been tending public flower and vegetable gardens in our Alton Village for many years. Some support in other ways. We truly appreciate all that our residents, businesses and volunteers contribute to our community. Thank you!

If you're interested in becoming a volunteer or being involved in some way, please reach out to us. It's a fun way to meet neighbours, make new friends and to learn about gardening together.  Email: [email protected].

"Butterflies can't see their wings. They can't see how truly beautiful they are, but everyone else can. People are like that as well." ~ Naya Rivera

What is a Native Plant and Why are Pollinator Gardens Important?


Here are 3 links to information sources that explain what a native plant is and why they are important.
"Wild pollinators such as butterflies and bees are crucial to human survival. Climate change, land development and pesticide use threaten their survival, and therefore ours as well. The Butterflyway Project helps people create viable pollinator habitat in neighbourhoods across Canada."  ~ David Suzuki Foundation

How do our garden projects benefit the community? Link Here

How Could My Garden Qualify to be Included in the Alton Village Butterflyway Network?


The Butterflyway Project is a volunteer-driven campaign that aims to create networks of butterfly-friendly habitat in communities throughout Canada, started in 2017 by The David Suzuki Foundation. The goal of the Butterflyway Project is to create Butterflyways and generally, to increase pollinator awareness and action in communities.
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A ButterflyWay is defined by the David Suzuki Foundation (DSF) as a network of 12 or more native plant gardens. Gardens included in a ButterflyWay can be any size and number of plants, but must include a mix of native wildflowers, grasses, shrubs and trees, ideally sourced from local native plant suppliers. You can plant in a window box, on a balcony rooftop, in a community garden, beside a road, in a park – the options are limitless.

Gardening with plants native to our area supports local biodiversity. They provide seeds and berries for birds and energy-rich nectar and protein-filled pollen for insects, like bees and butterflies. Native plants are also adapted to local climate and soils, so generally require less care and watering. When you go to purchase native plants for your garden, it is recommended that you use the Botanical (scientific) name to ensure you have the correct plant. 

Here are four guides to some of the best native plants for a Butterflyway garden within the Greater Toronto Area and the Credit Valley Watershed. 


More links below. Contact us if you would like to be recognized for your garden and receive a David Suzuki Butterflyway Sign. 

Funding Support for Land Owners


The Landowner Action Fund is Credit Valley Conservation’s (CVC) environmental incentive program for rural landowners living within the Credit River Watershed.
For Private Lands. Eligible private landowners can apply to the Landowner Action Fund (LAF) for funding assistance with their pollinator projects. There are 3 categories that could help with these types of projects. 
  • Grassland Restoration (projects > 0.5 acres)
  • ​Pollinator Patches (projects 0.5 acres and less)  
  • Sustainable Gardening (one time use) for more details

There is also corporate support. See Greening Corporate Grounds. Contact CVC for more info: [email protected]. 905-670-1615 | 1-800-668-5557

Butterflyway Gardening Resources

Links 
Organizations (For Inspiration and Learning)
Where to buy Native Plants
Books

Butterflyway and Native Plant Gardens in Alton Village



​Other Pollinator Gardens that you can visit locally
Good News! Dufferin-Caledon 2026

The Town of Orangeville has developed a Pollinator Protection Plan. As part of this work, the Town will be installing its first Municipal Pollinator Garden at the Edelbrock Centre. This garden will serve as a demonstration site to show residents what pollinator-friendly planting can look like and how it supports biodiversity, habitat, and pollination services. By creating more pollinator-friendly spaces across Orangeville, the Town hopes to support stronger habitat connections and encourage community action to protect pollinators.

Mosquitos

During mosquito season, many people are turning to sprays or fogging. We are concerned about the increase in spraying in our Caledon villages and the potential impact on our bees, butterflies and birds. For that reason we have included some links and resources below. Dr. Doug Tallamy suggests low-cost alternatives you can use at home. Mosquito dunks are available at the Orangeville Home Hardware.

Resources for Volunteers

  1. Gardeners - To Do List and Projects in Motion - Quick Ref.
  2. Layout of the Alton Village Square
  3. Project Highlights and Goals
  4. Whats in the Garden?  2026
  5. Alton Fire Station lands - Butterflyway Garden Plans
  6. How to Set Up a Sproutbox Garden - Step by Step and Youtube Video
  7. How to Plant the Three Sisters
  8. How to Use Acadie Hydrolyzed Fish Fertilizer (Product of Canada) Approved for Organic Agriculture 
Volunteer Calendar 2026 - More to come
  • Sunday, May 3 - Sproutbox Garden Build & Install 10-2
  • Saturday, May 16 - Native Plant Nursery Tour "In Our Nature" CANCELLED due to cool spring & slow growth
  • Sunday, May 31 - Planting Day! 10-12
  • Garden "Plant & Maintenance" Days will be Thursdays from 5-7 and Sundays from 10-12 starting May 3 
  • "Croquet "in the Square planned for Tuesdays in July from 5-7 (Cancelled for the 2026 season).  
  • "Reading" in the Square Gardens for Children is planned for Tuesdays in July from 10-11
  • Veggies (especially corn beds) to be watered with Fish Emulsion every 2 weeks (July 23, Aug 6, Aug 20, Sept 3)

For more information please email [email protected].

Thank you to Janine Smith for creating the calendar
Thank you to our amazing volunteers for building and installing the new Sproutbox gardens and trellis on Sunday, May 3, 2026!
Planting Day, Sunday, May 31, 2026
June 10, 2026: Veggies in the Alton Village Square Gardens are sprouting. The new pollinator garden at the Alton Fire Station is being prepared. Thank you to Wade at the Town of Caledon for the support at the Fire Station and to Courtney for her team's support at the Village Square. Much appreciated!
July 11, 2026: Veggies are growing well, particularly the "Three Sisters" garden beds. The fire station Butterfly garden is staked for the second delivery of native plants due end of July. Thank you volunteers!
“In the past, we have asked one thing of our gardens: that they be pretty. Now they have to support life, sequester carbon, feed pollinators and manage water.”

~ Dr. Douglas Tallamy
EDUCATION ~ EXCITEMENT ~ ENGAGEMENT ~ EXPANSION