BIOPOLIS PROJECTS

Branché is an app geared towards the betterment and enhancement of urban forests. Connected to the City of Montreal’s database, the app allows users to identify more than 200,000 trees, helping them recognize and get to know trees growing around the city.

It registers the position of the user’s smartphone and automatically displays the species and other info whenever they walk past a tree in Montreal. The app also lets users leave messages on particular trees, report ash trees that are infected by the Emerald Ash Borer, identify other app users, and georeference unlisted trees by using the species identification key.

Terre Promise produces the seeds of about 150 varieties of heritage, rare and endangered garden plants. They practice a selection process that encourages the adaptation of these varieties to the conditions of the Montreal area. All of their seeds are open pollinated, are non-GMO and none are under patent. The seeds are produced using ecological farming techniques free of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Terre Promise believes that nature knows better than anyone how to meet her own needs. They seek to maintain soil and vegetation biodiversity by favoring the maintenance of wild species and by reducing soil disruption. They also work hard to comply their farming practices to the recommendations prescribed by Seeds of Diversity Canada in terms of bee-friendly farming. Their seeds are produced on a one-hectare plot of land at La Ferme Bord-du-Lac, an ‘‘incubator farm’’ based on Île-Bizard (borough of L’Île-Bizard / Ste-Geneviève) and packaged in their workshop located in the Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough of Montreal.

The primary purpose of scientific fishing is to show citizens the multitude of fish species living in the waters surrounding parc des Rapides in LaSalle. Wildlife experts from Heritage Laurentien then take inventory to determine the richness of local biodiversity.

The public is invited to participate in activities, in order to promote citizen science. Since the beginning of this initiative more than 50 fish species have been recorded, including lake sturgeon and American shad, two species at risk in Quebec. The data gathered from these studies confirms that Des Rapides Park enjoys great levels of fish biodiversity that should be protected and showcased.

As part of Earth Day 2016, the Mayor of Saint-Laurent, Alan DeSousa, unveiled 10 biodiversity oasis to be developed throughout the year to highlight 10 years of conservation of the Marcel-Laurin park. These proposed developments include a biodiversity pond, a green rest stop, a monarch butterfly observation station, as well as floral spaces and other oases of biodiversity.

Fleurs sauvages du Quebec is an educational website created to provide easy and instant access to the flora of Quebec. The objectives are to show the public the richness, diversity and beauty of Quebec flora, build awareness of the importance of conservation for natural environments, pool and share information on flora and the environment, and facilitate the collection of information on plants in Quebec from various sources.

The beautifully illustrated and accessible content is queried via a search engine that works with simple and intuitive criteria for rapid identification of observed flowers. Each flower has its description reviewed by botanists, to ensure both comprehensive understanding and total accuracy.

Sauvons l’Anse-à-l’Orme is an action team that banded together to stop a vast development project in Pierrefonds-Roxboro and Saint-Anne-de-Bellevue.

The City of Montreal has announced its intention to develop 6,000 new housing units on 185 hectares of fallow agricultural land, marshlands and wetlands bordered by a beautifully dense forest. This land is currently home to a wide variety of terrestrial and aquatic wildlife, a large number of which are threatened or endangered, such as the Bobolink, the Northern Map Turtle, the American Kestrel, the Brown Snake and the Jefferson Salamander.

Sauvons L’Anse-a-l’Orme believes that this natural space should be protected in its entirety, and that any development will have irreversible effects on the biodiversity that thrives here.  In a study released by the David Suzuki Foundation in Feb 2016, it was shown that connectivity in adjoining nature parks could be reduced by up to 24%. Through massive citizen opposition to the loss of this last unprotected natural area on the island of Montreal, they hope to protect this area by creating a great new regional, provincial or national park.

Led by the non-profit organization Sentier Urbain, whose mission is to encourage community mobilization for greener social spaces, Circuit Jardins transforms socially problematic vacant lots into naturalized, thematic gardens. These charming gardens are located in the Ville-Marie and Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve districts. They are veritable oases that strengthen the ties between humans and nature, fight the negative effects of urban heat islands, and increase the city’s biodiversity, all while creating new green spaces for citizens.

Champ des Possibles is a natural green space located in Mile End (within the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough) that is jointly managed by citizens dedicated to protecting their neighborhood since 2007. Previously, it was a yard belonging to the Canadian Pacific Railway until the end of the eighties but nature has since gone wild at the site, and we are now able to count some 300 plant and animal species, including skunks, foxes and peregrine falcons. Local residents are gradually appropriating this industrial wasteland, most notably by constructing vegetable gardens, organizing concerts, as well as cleaning and maintaining the plot.

Pêche en herbe (young sport fishers) is an introduction to sport fishing for Montrealers aged 9 – 12. The program consists of a full training followed by a supervised fishing lesson, where kids are offered the tools they need so they are ready to go fishing again on their own starting from the very next day.

YOUR GARDEN, A SPACE FOR BIODIVERSITY

Growing plants on a balcony, a terrace, a wall; creating a garden, or a vegetable patch: are all ways to get closer to nature and take concrete action to preserve biodiversity.
By offering tips and advice for ecological gardening favouring biodiversity and an inspiring newsletter, the My Space for Life Garden Program guides you in your planning, and recognizes your contribution to the community by certifying your green space.
My Garden, it’s close to 3000 subscribed gardenauts and more then 400 certified gardens since 2013!