Explore Biopolis projects and discover how citizens, researchers, institutions, businesses and community organizations are supporting biodiversity in cities across Southern Québec.
The projects listed on Biopolis are diverse and a source of inspiration for all. They were selected according to their objectives to enhance and preserve urban biodiversity in cities across Southern Québec. Explore our featured projects to discover how citizens, researchers, institutions, businesses and community organizations are working to support urban biodiversity.
In large parks, especially in nature parks, the City of Montréal works to create favourable conditions for wildlife and encourage environmental education. Several dozens of bird nesting boxes have been installed close to park trails and, in winter, bird feeders are placed near the park’s reception chalet. Nesting boxes contribute to the arrival of species that do not find sufficient cavities to meet their needs in the surrounding areas. Feeders provide an additional food source during the winter season. Above all, nesting boxes and feeders are excellent tools to introduce people of all ages to birdwatching and foster appreciation of our close link with nature.
Two wildlife observation sites have been redeveloped using a new and improved design concept in Montréal’s nature parks network : Observatoire Havre aux tortues in Cap-Saint-Jacques nature park, and Observatoire du marais in Pointe-aux-Prairies nature park. These structures have been adjusted to simultaneously address wildlife protection imperatives and people’s desire to observe wildlife. A wall with openings disposed at varying heights allows all visitors to view and enjoy the natural landscape without disturbing the animals. Materials consistent with sustainable development principles were selected for the construction of these structures.
Launched in 2015 in the Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough, the IDENT-Cité project has two interlocking spiralled paths that were designed to help visitors experience the importance of biodiversity as they explore them. They feature different varieties of deciduous and coniferous trees, with species becoming more diversified as you move towards the center of the first spiral path, only to become more and more similar during the second path. This is the first urban project for the IDENT network, who have already led several experiences showcasing the benefits of biodiversity across the world.
Thomas-Chapais Park encompasses one of the richest woodlands found in the eastern portion of the Island of Montreal. The park covers an area of 15,2 hectares and is home to over 11,000 trees and to an impressive diversity of native plant and animal species. In order to preserve the park’s biodiversity and ecological value, a habitat protection and restoration project, funded by the Fondation Hydro-Québec pour l’environnement, was developed. The project has three components:
Education and outreach
Buckthorn eradication
Uprooting and removal activities will be organized in order to eradicate buckthorn, or at least, to slow down rapid propagation of this invasive alien species. Furthermore, because buckthorn form a dense opaque wall-like bush, control operations will increase the feeling of safety among citizens in the park.
Restoration of biodiversity
Trees and shrubs will be planted in order to restrain buckthorn regeneration and to offer complementary habitat and food sources for wildlife.
All activities will be planned and executed by the coordinator in charge of biodiversity projects at éco-quartier Mercier – Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, in collaboration with the Thomas-Chapais Park Citizen Committee.
Public trees of Montreal is a digital tool designed to view more than 250,000 trees in the city. The tool is presented on the QuéBio website, a platform managed by the Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science. The tree inventory was carried out by the employees of the different boroughs of the City of Montreal and was made available on the city’s open data platform.
School gardens are becoming more and more popular everywhere around the world. From Europe to North America, gardening has proven to be a useful learning and recreational tool for children of all ages. However, starting a school garden project may seem labour intensive and complicated for teachers and other school workers.
In response for the need of accessible information and materials, Gardening my School presents itself as a tool for sharing knowledge and expertise about educational gardens. It is intended for anyone who wishes to elaborate an educational garden project or to participate in one.
Whether you are a teacher, parent or citizen, Gardening my School offers resources entirely dedicated to educational gardens that will guide you through your project from start to finish and that will help you to maintain it in the future. Information sheets, activities and games elaborated by education and urban agriculture experts are available at everyone’s convenience on the platform.
The platform caters the needs of Montreal-based projects, but also of those based in other regions in the province. Discover a multitude of unique school gardening projects that will inspire you and bring confidence to your own project achievements!
Agriculture urbaine Montréal is an information hub for all urban agriculture initiatives in the Montreal region. It contributes to the development of the city’s agricultural activities by showcasing and promoting them. Agriculture urbaine Montréal lists and maps the city’s initiatives such as community, collective and balcony gardens, as well as urban farms and apiaries. It also showcases the profiles of project leaders.
Developed and managed by the Urban Agriculture Lab (AU/LAB) since 2011, this platform serves as a gardening resource while fostering the engagement of urban gardeners and promoting garden biodiversity.
Living Campus is the embodiment of Dawson College’s commitment to the improvement of society and exists with three goals. First, to act as a socially and ecologically responsible agent through the identification and management of sustainability performance indicators. Second, to reconnect people, communities, and nature through the development of nature-based action projects that involve real-world ecological problem-solving, increase biodiversity in an urban setting, and cultivate collaboration. Third, Living Campus aims to advance the understanding and teaching of sustainability by building local and international learning communities that foster collaboration and exchange of best practices.
Within the framework of the Living Campus project, Dawson College created a series of green spaces dedicated to biodiversity and sustainable practices on its grounds, with the collaboration of devoted students and teachers. Among these are:
The project also features a nature interpretation program for youth (Naturehood), a Monarch rearing and release project, as well as a network of 6 bird feeding stations.
Within the innovative movement of urban agriculture, Biquette à Montréal is working to bring pastoral elements back with initiatives to help sheep graze in the city. The main objective of the pilot project, carried out in Pelican Park, Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie, is the introduction of eco-grazing in contemporary Montreal. Biquette à Montréal was developped within the Urban Agriculture Lab (AU/LAB).
Biquette à Montréal is summed up by three words: graze, educate and enjoy. Graze, by creating grazing areas in Montreal; educate, by creating a public space for citizen education about urban agriculture showcasing their flock of lambs; enjoy, by creating a meeting place with agriculture, which helps us connect to both the rural and the urban. Biquette à Montréal is a gathering place that is educational, fun and interactive all at once.
Mission Monarch is a scientific project dedicated to the conservation of the Monarch butterfly through research, citizen science and education. The project is a joint initiative of the Montreal Insectarium and the Institut de recherche en biologie végétale (Plant Biology Research Institute), that also involves researchers from the universities of Ottawa, Rimouski, and Calgary.
As a citizen science project, participants visit milkweed fields several times a summer to examine plants in search of monarch eggs and caterpillars, and share data collected with researchers via the website. Mission Monarch aims to document and identify the best monarch breeding habitats to help researchers implement an effective conservation plan for Canada.
Initiated by Environment Canada’s Biosphere, the BioKit project helps young people discover biodiversity, both in the country and in the city. BioKits are exploration notebooks designed for budding biologists, and are available for iPad via a free application, or as downloadable digital workbooks. Through a series of interactive outdoor activities for all ages, participants learn to listen, smell, touch and observe their environment to discover a new side of biodiversity by augmenting their hiking or walking experiences.
As the one and only outdoor zoo on the island of Montréal, the Ecomuseum Zoo offers their visitors the opportunity to experience the wildlife of Quebec in an enchanting natural setting. Their mission centres on environmental education, wildlife and habitat conservation, and animal welfare. The Ecomuseum Zoo also raises awareness about the importance of protecting Quebec’s biodiversity to their 115,000 annual visitors.
The animals of the Ecomuseum Zoo are non-releasable: orphans, injured, and/or born under professional human care, they have all found a permanent loving home at the zoo.
Help protect threatened species and their habitats.
