Over the past 6 years, Green Venture has led and partnered with community volunteers and other local organizations to establish 27 new community plantings and green demonstration sites. These plantings engage the community through volunteer and education opportunities, and enhance public spaces and natural areas. Examples include tree plantings, depave gardens, rain gardens, and natural restoration sites. Green Venture’s community greening sites connect and beautify communities, provide space for people to observe, learn, and gather, provide habitat for native species, help manage urban runoff, and clean and cool our air. 

We launched the Building Greenspace Stewardship Capacity program in 2022 as a means to improve our capacity to provide ongoing support to past and new site partners, while also serving the broader greening community and interested volunteers. Since working with community partners to implement public plantings, we encountered a variety of maintenance challenges at planting sites. Site partners have expressed challenges with maintaining dedicated volunteers over the years, as well as challenges around summer holidays, staff turnover, remote working, volunteer burnout, vandalism and more. Furthermore, organizations and people in Hamilton may be looking to connect and understand how they can get involved in starting or stewarding a community greening project. To be successful in the long-term, these community greening projects require long-term maintenance and attention.