Snapshot
We know naturalized gardens – yards planted to support biodiversity and cultivated in a natural way – bring countless environmental and community benefits. Even so, habitat gardeners often have to fight local bylaws in order to protect their right to a naturalized landscape.
We are currently fighting such a battle in Smiths Falls, Ontario. And we need your help so that we can set a precedent that supports the right to naturalized gardens.
Please donate to stand up for the right to a naturalized garden.
All photography courtesy of Craig Sinclair.
Safeguarding the Right of Canadians to have Naturalized Gardens

Story
We are appealing a decision by local Bylaw Enforcement against naturalized gardens. This is a legal fight to protect the right of Canadians to naturalize their yards and help the environment in a time of climate crisis and biodiversity loss.
Naturalized gardens (or simply, healthy yards) provide countless benefits, far exceeding those of a standard lawn. Healthy yards improve air quality, store carbon, prevent floods, have a natural cooling effect and reduce water usage, all while providing habitat for local insects and wildlife. These benefits extend far beyond one yard!
We want to empower communities across Canada to pursue naturalization and do their part to support biodiversity and environmental sustainability. A successful legal appeal will set a precedent to ensure healthy yards can thrive while helping others overcome outdated, restrictive bylaws.
All funds raised will be applied towards the cost of the appeal process.
Please donate today and help us protect Canadians’ rights to naturalized gardens.
For those interested in becoming more involved, a free toolkit has been developed to help people who wish to naturalize their yards and may be facing similar challenges. Ryerson University’s* Ecological Design Lab, in partnership with Biophilic Cities Network, has developed a free report and toolkit on biodiversity in municipal bylaws, along with a model by-law available for download**. These resources include best practices for North American municipalities and options for planners and policy-makers who are revising municipal zoning codes and bylaws to provide support for naturalized and healthy biodiverse yards.
Project Details: https://ecologicaldesignlab.ca/project/urban-biodiversity-studio/
Model Bylaw: https://ecologicaldesignlab.ca/project/model-by-law/
Please check the Ecological Design Lab website for updates, FAQ and helpful information for anyone facing Notices of Violation.
*The University is undergoing a renaming process to address the legacy of Egerton Ryerson for a more inclusive future.
** These resources were developed collaboratively by RU graduate students in Urban Planning (including Carly Murphy, Danielle Liao, Cameron McCoy, Anne Benaroya, Julia Bevacqua, Lana Marcy, Alexander Adams) under the supervision of Professor Nina-Marie Lister, Professor Tim Beatley, JD Brown and Lorraine Johnston. All materials are free for download but must be cited and authorship acknowledged when used elsewhere.
Name | Donation | Date |
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Kathryn Dean | $20 | February 9, 2023 10:52 pm |
Douglas Robb | $10 | September 30, 2022 10:11 pm |
Cheryl Berube | $25 | August 30, 2022 4:10 pm |
Alyssa Elstone | $50 | July 1, 2022 9:28 pm |
Kathryn Howard | $50 | May 9, 2022 12:17 pm |
Marie Primeau-Maurice | $25 | May 5, 2022 11:19 pm |
Christine Anderson | $20 | April 13, 2022 9:02 am |
Kyla Moore | $100 | April 12, 2022 2:41 pm |
Valerie Pirner | $50 | April 12, 2022 9:00 am |
Wade Pitman | $30 | April 12, 2022 3:30 am |
Crystal Gartner | $16 | April 11, 2022 6:29 pm |
Liz Benneian | $50 | April 11, 2022 2:35 pm |
Annette Long | $100 | April 11, 2022 1:14 pm |
Anonymous | $50 | April 11, 2022 12:31 pm |
Raewyn Khosla | $25 | April 10, 2022 10:32 pm |
Anonymous | $20 | April 10, 2022 5:28 pm |
Patricia Henderson | $22 | April 10, 2022 5:13 pm |
Travis Obrigewitsch | $55 | April 7, 2022 2:01 am |
Claire Van Aert | $15 | March 24, 2022 12:33 pm |
Emma Bider | $10 | March 23, 2022 6:49 pm |
Anonymous | $100 | March 23, 2022 6:44 pm |
Amelia Garvey | $50 | March 23, 2022 3:44 pm |
Suzanne Isaacs | $20 | March 21, 2022 9:31 pm |
Barbara Brookes | $40 | March 21, 2022 3:03 pm |
Justin Currie | $253 | March 9, 2022 10:24 pm |
Susan MacMillan | $50 | March 8, 2022 8:03 pm |
Melissa Will | $50 | March 8, 2022 6:23 pm |
Barbara Leiterman | $72 | March 7, 2022 3:53 pm |
Erica Brandt | $20 | March 7, 2022 1:55 pm |
Anonymous | $55 | March 6, 2022 12:22 am |
Sonya Nobbe | $25 | March 4, 2022 12:04 am |
Rebecca Last | $20 | March 3, 2022 6:05 pm |
ANNE MURPHY | $100 | March 3, 2022 3:00 pm |
Gloria Marsh | $105 | March 3, 2022 1:27 pm |
Elizabeth Spedaliere | $25 | March 3, 2022 12:23 pm |
Anonymous | $30 | March 3, 2022 2:13 am |
Janeen Auld | $50 | March 3, 2022 2:09 am |
brad daniels | $100 | March 2, 2022 9:57 pm |
Anonymous | $20 | March 2, 2022 7:40 pm |
Gina Gohs | $10 | March 2, 2022 5:26 pm |
Jenny Horsman | $10 | March 2, 2022 3:31 pm |
Anonymous | $10 | March 2, 2022 3:11 pm |
Sandra Fedak | $27 | March 2, 2022 2:02 pm |
Catherine McNeely | $20 | March 2, 2022 12:37 pm |
Ren Duinker | $30 | March 2, 2022 9:25 am |
susan stefko | $100 | March 2, 2022 4:12 am |
Rose Stewart | $50 | March 2, 2022 1:03 am |
Anonymous | $20 | March 2, 2022 12:18 am |
Erinn Turnbull | $55 | March 1, 2022 11:18 pm |
Elizabeth Koblyk | $30 | March 1, 2022 11:13 pm |
Anonymous | $550 | March 1, 2022 9:40 pm |
Anonymous | $25 | March 1, 2022 8:57 pm |
Maureen Adamache | $25 | March 1, 2022 7:59 pm |
Michelle Wybenga | $50 | March 1, 2022 7:54 pm |
Mary-lyn Hopper | $10 | March 1, 2022 7:45 pm |
Anna Thomas | $25 | March 1, 2022 7:25 pm |
Anne Goulden | $50 | March 1, 2022 7:13 pm |
Anonymous | $30 | March 1, 2022 6:45 pm |
margaret lathwell | $35 | March 1, 2022 6:26 pm |
Paulette Kirkey | $20 | March 1, 2022 6:02 pm |
Adrienne Barrett Hofman | $20 | March 1, 2022 5:33 pm |
Andrea Hazard | $10 | March 1, 2022 5:32 pm |
Jeffrey Good | $10 | March 1, 2022 5:13 pm |
Lawrie Keillor-Faulkner | $30 | March 1, 2022 5:09 pm |
Kathleen Halliwell | $45 | March 1, 2022 4:17 pm |
Kathleen Lush | $50 | March 1, 2022 3:29 pm |
Anonymous | $20 | March 1, 2022 2:29 pm |
Sharon Foster | $50 | March 1, 2022 2:02 pm |
Ruth Smith | $25 | March 1, 2022 1:28 pm |
Anonymous | $100 | March 1, 2022 1:07 pm |
Linda Jacobson | $55 | March 1, 2022 1:03 pm |
Susan Hensley | $20 | March 1, 2022 1:02 pm |
Anonymous | $22 | March 1, 2022 12:29 pm |
Carla Brown | $100 | March 1, 2022 10:17 am |
Donna Dale | $100 | March 1, 2022 3:45 am |
Mara McHaffie | $25 | March 1, 2022 3:05 am |
Darlene Varaleau | $100 | March 1, 2022 2:53 am |
Joan Weed | $20 | March 1, 2022 2:49 am |
Aileen Duncan | $50 | March 1, 2022 2:37 am |
Anonymous | $30 | March 1, 2022 2:31 am |
Melanie Ouellette | $50 | March 1, 2022 2:31 am |
Anonymous | $20 | March 1, 2022 2:29 am |
John Ambrose | $52 | March 1, 2022 2:23 am |
Cynthia Bujold | $50 | March 1, 2022 2:20 am |
Ailsa Francis | $30 | March 1, 2022 2:18 am |
Jessica Olivier | $50 | March 1, 2022 2:09 am |
Carol Pasternak | $50 | March 1, 2022 2:06 am |
Aki Tanaka | $50 | March 1, 2022 2:04 am |
Janet Lobban-Shymko | $20 | March 1, 2022 1:48 am |
Lise Bois | $30 | March 1, 2022 1:40 am |
Laura Foy | $25 | March 1, 2022 1:29 am |
Anonymous | $100 | February 25, 2022 9:21 pm |
Anonymous | $120 | February 25, 2022 8:33 pm |