St. Mother Teresa Catholic Academy (SMTCA) is helping create a greener community with the development of a new pollinator garden, supported by a City of Toronto PollinateTO grant.
SMTCA was one of 30 recipients selected for a 2026 PollinateTO grant, which supports community-led projects that create and enhance pollinator habitat across Toronto.
Led by the school’s science department, with contributions from the Intensive Support Program, SMTCA students worked alongside Grade 7 students from Sacred Heart Catholic School to plant a variety of native species selected to attract and support pollinators, including butterflies, hummingbirds and other wildlife.
The project was developed in collaboration with the Toronto Catholic District School Board’s Indigenous Education Department and supports the school’s Equity Action Plan. A dedicated area of the garden features First Nations plants that support pollinators, adding an important educational component to the space.
Staff and students from SMTCA’s gardening club also contributed their time and expertise to the project, helping transform the garden into a space for learning, environmental stewardship and community engagement.
The school has also registered the garden with the David Suzuki Foundation’s Butterflyway Project, a Canada-wide initiative that supports the creation of habitat for local bees and butterflies.
The pollinator garden is an ongoing community initiative, with opportunities to continue expanding the space in the future, including the potential addition of a food garden.
Through the contributions of students, staff and community partners, the project demonstrates how collective action can support local biodiversity while providing students with meaningful, hands-on opportunities to learn about and care for the environment.
