Toronto, May 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Taking action to help restore biodiversity has never been easier thanks to a partnership between In the Zone (a program run by WWF-Canada and Carolinian Canada) and Loblaw Companies Ltd. Native plants — those that are adapted to local conditions and have deep relationships with other plants and wildlife native to the area — can now be found in Loblaw Garden Centres primarily throughout southern Ontario but spanning all the way from Windsor to Ottawa.
This year, 123 Loblaw Garden Centres will carry native plants, which can be easily identified through the In the Zone plant tag.
The benefits of using native plants in your garden or balcony garden include:
- Native plants are beautiful, hardy and low-maintenance species (almost all are perennial) that have adapted to local environmental conditions through thousands of years of natural selection.
- Native plants are essential for healthy landscapes, clean water and climate-smart yards.
- They support a vast diversity of insects, birds, mammals, healthy soil ecosystems and other living organisms through the food web.
- Scientific studies show that native plants support many more pollinators than non-native plant species.
- Growing native plants in every available space is one of the best ways to help reverse habitat loss and restore ecosystems.
Native plant gardening is a great way to beautify your space while doing something good for the planet. Anyone who adds native plants to their garden is also invited to help grow Canada’s biggest wildlife garden by signing up for the In the Zone Garden program where they’ll get access to garden guides, gardening tips, and contribute to community science through the Garden Tracker.
Many animal species in southern Ontario benefit from native plant gardening, including:
- Monarch butterfly
- Mottled duskywing
- Rusty-patched bumble bee
- Jefferson salamander
- Blanding’s turtle
- Five-lined skink
- Woodland vole
- Eastern chipmunk
- Peregrine falcon
- Red-headed woodpecker
- Ruby-throated hummingbird
Loblaw Garden Centres will continue to follow COVID-19 public-health guidelines. Please consult your local public health unit for further information on how to stay safe from COVID-19 while shopping.
About World Wildlife Fund Canada
WWF-Canada creates solutions to the environmental challenges that matter most for Canadians. We work in places that are unique and ecologically important, so that nature, wildlife and people thrive together. Because we are all wildlife. For more information, visit wwf.ca.
About Carolinian Canada
Carolinian Canada’s network protects an incredible array of rare wildlife and natural treasures from Toronto to Windsor. The charity connects diverse Canadians to healthy landscapes and wild places of Canada’s deep south. Explore Carolinian Canada. You can’t live without it. caroliniancanada.ca
About In the Zone
What you plant matters! In the Zone helps people transform outdoor spaces with native plants to support wildlife, water and our ways of life. Restoring healthy ecosystems helps bring life back to communities, backyards, farmlands, gardens and balconies. In the Zone is a collaborative initiative of WWF-Canada and Carolinian Canada www.inthezonegardens.ca
About Loblaw Companies Ltd.
Loblaw Companies Limited is the nation’s largest retailer, providing Canadians with grocery, pharmacy, health and beauty, apparel, general merchandise, financial services, and wireless mobile products and services. Loblaw.ca