Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Project CHIRP - Gardening for Songbirds (Toronto)


My friend sent me a link to Project CHIRP! (which stands for “Creating Habitat in Residential Areas and Parkland), which is a conservation initiative to help "inspire homeowners to incorporate native flora into their gardens to support songbird populations".

From the Canadian Wildlife Federation's Wild About Gardening website:

"Project CHIRP! is available to anyone in the Toronto region. Christina Sharma and Richard Joos have made presentations to gardening clubs, conservation societies, naturalist groups, businesses, children’s clubs, church groups and the Toronto Zoo, among others. As Christina notes, “On behalf of Richard Joos and myself, I hope we may have the opportunity to speak to your group. In return, you will receive a colourful talk that will leave you not only with the tools you need to create an attractive habitat for songbirds (and you!), but also feeling empowered and inspired to become an active participant in songbird conservation.”

Christina and Richard offer a “site consult” service to address site-specific concerns and assist with the creation of a basic site map, noting such things as garden dimensions, permanent structures, beneficial vantage points, sun exposure, microclimates and soil type. The fee for this service is about $50. To learn more about Project CHIRP! and upcoming songbird garden tour dates, bird banding station visits, speaking events or home site consults/native garden design, contact Christina at projectchirp at rogers dot com or 416.236.7234."


Image from Green Living

PDF about Project Chirp from Ontario Environmental Network



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She also helped launch the Birds of Toronto book (part of the City's Biodiversity Series):
"The book launch will take place at the beginning of the lecture Miraculous Migrants: Why Songbird Conservation Begins at Home, delivered by Dr. Bridget Stutchbury of York University and Christina Sharma of Project CHIRP."

Found this also - Project CHIRP had a garden display at the 2011 Canada Blooms event:

Project Chirp - Wild Things in Your Gardens
We show how to make your garden a home for birds, bees, and butterflies. Native plants, water, and nest sites recreate nature in the city.

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