Sustainable Roots Ecological Restoration

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Sustainable Roots Ecological Restoration

Sustainable Roots Ecological Restoration Inc. was born from a desire to see positive change in the way that we view urban ecological restoration.

We are a service dedicated to restoration through invasive species management, reforestation, and education.

09/26/2025

Now booking for Fall and Winter: WOODY INVASIVE REMOVAL 🌳❌
We offer custom management plans for woodlots and trail systems 🪵
Woody invasive species like European buckthorn threaten biodiversity, soil health, and the future of our forests.
At Sustainable Roots Ecological Restoration, we provide:
✔️ Safe removal of woody invasive species
✔️ Site-specific management strategies
✔️ Replanting with resilient native trees & shrubs
✔️ Ongoing stewardship for long-term success
From backyard woodlots to trail systems over 10 acres, our team helps restore balance where it matters most.
📩 Book your site visit today → sustainablerootseco.com

09/24/2025

We are so incredibly grateful for the rain this week 🌧️
It was a WILD summer trying to keep up with this drought 🥵
Our job doesn’t end when trees are planted, we want as many of them to survive (and thrive) as possible!! 🌳
This is one of the very real and very present impacts of climate change… all the more reason to keep our wetlands intact, keep our land surfaces permeable for groundwater recharge (aka stop paving paradise already!!!) and to keep tending to the trees that bring us so many gifts (including carbon sequestration and shade/cooling!!!) 💚

Wishing us all a beautiful, rainy week 💦

09/18/2025

We have had much time for posting lately, but here’s a gorgeous woodland sunflower to usher us into fall 🌻
I hope you’re all enjoying the last few days of summer 💛

🌻

09/03/2025

WE HAVE A FEW SPOTS LEFT FOR FALL 🌻
Now is the perfect time to plan your native plant garden! 🍂
✨ Fall planting means:
Less stress on plants 🌱
Lower water needs 💧
Strong root growth before winter ❄️
A garden ready to burst into life come spring 🌸
Contact us today to book your site visit and get a personalized quote 💌

08/28/2025

🌲Mini-Forest in the Making!🌲
This week, our team prepared a site for a future mini-forest—a powerful way to bring more biodiversity, shade, and resilience to urban spaces.
But what is a mini-forest?
A mini-forest is a densely planted pocket of native trees and shrubs, designed to grow quickly and mimic the structure of a natural forest. Within just a few years, these sites provide:
🌳 Cooling shade and cleaner air
🦋 Habitat for pollinators and wildlife
💧 Improved soil and water retention
🌍 A boost to local climate resilience
This project is in partnership with Credit Valley Conservation ( ), who work across the Credit River Watershed to protect, restore, and connect people with the natural environment. Their mission aligns beautifully with ours—to restore healthy ecosystems and increase local biodiversity.
We’re so excited to see this patch of land transform into a thriving mini-forest in the years to come. 🌿

08/13/2025

It’s our 3 year wedding anniversary 💚
So we thought we would celebrate by reintroducing ourselves 👋
We’re Andy and Reid, the plant-loving humans behind Sustainable Roots 🌿
Sustainable Roots Ecological Restoration grew out of our shared desire to see positive change in the way we care for our urban ecosystems. Together, we help increase local biodiversity through pollinator garden installations, reforestation, invasive species management, and community education.
Andy has over a decade of experience leading native tree planting projects, invasive species removals, and team-building planting events. Though the plants were his first means of connecting with the land, he has recently become enamoured with animal tracking and is in his second year of a tracking apprenticeship program. Reid previously worked as an outdoor educator, connecting people to the plants around them through hands-on workshops, guided walks, and stewardship programs. She is now in school exploring a new path, but still remains at the heart of Sustainable Roots (especially our social media!)
Whether we’re planting trees, removing invasive species, or geeking out over goldenrod with a classroom of curious kids, our mission is the same: to restore and reconnect people with the landscapes we share 🌱💛

08/11/2025

Summer Newsletter is out! 🌻 and just in time for ANOTHER run of scorching hot days 🥵
In this one we highlight some hydrating and cooling herbs that can support us in this heat 🔥
🌿The herbs that I grow in my garden and use daily are:
-Lemon balm
-Mint
-Chamomile
-Marshmallow
-Calendula
-Aloe

Topped off with some honey, a squeeze of lemon, and a pinch of salt 👌

How are you staying cool these days? 💧❄️

08/07/2025

Summer newsletter coming in HOT 🔥 (just like the weather of Summer 2025 🥵)
You’ll find this edition of our seasonal newsletter in your inbox on Monday morning 💌
You can subscribe at the link in our bio 🔗

08/06/2025

Joe Pye W**d abundance 🐝

🌿Joe Pye W**d (𝙀𝙪𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙪𝙢 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙪𝙢) is a towering, late-summer bloomer native to Ontario’s moist meadows, forest edges, and streambanks. With its tall stems and domed clusters of dusty pink flowers, it plays a quiet but important role in the seasonal rhythm of native plant communities.

🩷This plant is more than just a pretty face — it provides critical nectar for pollinators at a time when many other native species have finished blooming. Bees, butterflies, and other insects rely on its late-season abundance.

🌧️In restoration work, Joe Pye W**d is often used in wetland buffers, rain gardens, and riparian zones, where its deep roots help manage stormwater and stabilize soils. It thrives in areas with consistent moisture and partial sun but can also adapt to a variety of conditions once established.

🦋Its presence is a reminder of how native perennials can fill ecological niches — offering food, structure, and seasonal continuity in diverse plant communities.

📍Native to much of eastern North America, including southern Ontario.

**d

07/29/2025

A lil peek into my garden 👀🌿
Plants featured are:
🌸Purple Conefower
🌸Anise Hyssop
🌸Red Bee Balm
🌸Lance Leaved Coreopsis
🌸Blue Vervain
🌸Virginia Mountain Mint

Growing plants from seed is such a joy, such a feeling of accomplishment 🌱 Coming home to see how they’ve grown and the beauty that they bring to my space is so special 🌻

07/28/2025

Found this beautiful being in the garden yesterday 🦋

🦋✨ Meet the Hummingbird Clearwing Moth (Hemaris thysbe)
Not a hummingbird, not a bee—this fascinating pollinator is a day-flying moth found right here in Ontario! Its hovering flight, fuzzy body, and rapid wingbeats often confuse it for a tiny bird, but it’s a native moth species that plays a vital role in pollination.

🌱 Why We Love Them (and You Should Too!)
These moths are important pollinators for many of Ontario’s native flowering plants, including:
✔️ Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa)
✔️ Phlox (Phlox paniculata)
✔️ Vervain (Verbena hastata)
✔️ Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)

🐛 Their larvae feed on native shrubs like viburnums and honeysuckle, showing how interconnected our ecosystems truly are.

🌿 How to Support Them
✅ Plant native wildflowers with tubular blossoms
✅ Avoid pesticides
✅ Leave some leaf litter and twigs for overwintering pupae
✅ Plant native shrubs to support caterpillar stages

🔄 Native plants do more than beautify a space—they support Ontario’s native wildlife, from pollinators like the hummingbird clearwing moth to birds and beyond.

07/22/2025

A beautiful morning in the Meadoway! 🌻🌸

Working in gorgeous sites like this is always a treat, especially since we get to see the amazing progress season after season! What are we doing in these sites? Cutting back any aggressive and invasive species that are encroaching on newly planted trees and shrubs 💚 A non-chemical approach to managing these species 🙌

Address

Toronto, ON

Telephone

+14163574015

Website

http://sustainablerootseco.com/

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Our Story

Sustainable Roots Ecological Restoration Inc. was born from a desire to see positive change in the way that we view urban ecological restoration. Andrew Ince, Restoration Technician, and Reid Williamson, Outdoor Educator, decided to combine these very compatible skillsets to take on challenges within urban green spaces. With sustainability education at the core, we aim to offer a unique service within this growing industry.

We are a service dedicated to ecological restoration through invasive species control/management, reforestation, and educational outreach. We offer experienced and ecologically responsible invasive species control tailored specifically to each project, with replanting services to promote biodiversity. Additionally, we offer educational opportunities for the local community to engage with the plants that we work with through workshops.

Andy Ince graduated from Trent University with a Bachelor of Environmental Studies. Throughout his nearly decade long career in ecological restoration he has lead invasive species removal projects, and native tree planting projects. He organizes and facilitates volunteer, and team-building planting events. He is experienced in implementing tree protection plans, and designing native plant gardens with a focus on xeriscaping.

Reid Williamson graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Environmental Studies and Sociology, with a Global Experience Certificate. With over eight years of experience as an outdoor educator she provides volunteers and corporate teams with engaging workshops and planting events.