Two underused green spaces in Whitby are set to become dense, fast-growing native forests this fall, after community volunteers spent the summer preparing the ground at Windsor Bay Park and Central Park.

The projects are led by Little Forests Durham, a non-profit that plants Miyawaki-style mini forests in urban parks and other public spaces across the region. The Town of Whitby provided financial support, with the Rotary Club of Whitby Sunrise and the local community partnering on the Windsor Bay Park site, according to Little Forests Durham.

How the sites were prepared

Volunteers prepared the roughly 100-square-metre Windsor Bay Park site, at 301 Front Street East in south Whitby, by layering wetted cardboard, compost and mulch over the grass. The materials are left for several months to smother weeds and decompose, building nutrient-rich soil for planting.

A similar site preparation event was held at Central Park on Saturday, June 20, 2026, from 10 a.m. to noon. The group says no experience was needed and all ages were welcome, though the work involved lifting materials of up to 10 kilograms.

Fall planting of native trees and shrubs will follow at both locations. The group says the forests will provide wildlife habitat, improve air quality, capture carbon, reduce urban heat and grow faster and support more biodiversity than conventional urban tree plantings.

A growing track record

Little Forests Durham has already helped plant four mini forests in the region. The first in Whitby went into the ground at Heber Down Conservation Area in October 2025, a milestone highlighted in Mayor Elizabeth Roy's monthly newsletter in February 2026.

The organization has also been featured in a Tree Canada video about the community-led mini forest movement, and members Ingrid Janssen and Norine accepted a Rotary Paul Harris Award from the Rotary Club of Whitby at a ceremony at the Centennial Building on March 25, 2026.

Your outstanding commitment to service and dedication to making a positive impact in our community have not gone unnoticed.” – Deidre Newman, president of the Rotary Club of Whitby, in the award citation

Beyond Whitby

Whitby is not the only Durham community getting new little forests. Volunteers prepared a site in Uxbridge on June 13, 2026, at 57 Elgin Park Drive, in honour of the late Steve Snoddon, while a Clarington site was prepped on July 11 at the Diane Hamre Recreation Complex, 1780 Rudell Road, in partnership with the Municipality of Clarington, the Clarington Climate Action Collective and the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority.

Those sites are also slated for fall planting. Details about upcoming planting dates are posted on the group's website, and questions can be directed to info@littleforestsdurham.ca.