Cambridge Plant

About the Program
The Toyota Motor North America Cambridge Plant is an urban facility in Cambridge, Ontario, approximately 60 miles west of Toronto. Approximately 30 acres have been set aside for grassland habitat and bird conservation, plus some additional acreage closer to the plant for native landscaping with plantings for pollinators. The team’s objectives are to support wildlife populations such as pollinators and cavity-nesting songbirds by replacing non-native vegetation with native plantings that provide wildlife with foraging and nesting habitat. The team also educates employees and visitors about biodiversity and pollinators through on-premises signage and educational events.

Practices and Impacts

• In 2017, the team created a total of 1.01 acres of pollinator gardens. Species planted include a variety of mostly native nectar plants, as well as several butterfly host plants like spicebush, milkweed and pearly everlasting. Employees maintain and monitor the gardens throughout the year. Pollinator species observed in the gardens so far include spotted bumblebees and squash bees.
• In 2019, the team created a 220-square-meter landscaped area consisting of 23 species of native trees including red maple, northern red oak and tulip tree. More than 138 team members and their families participated in the planting event. The day included a presentation on tree identification, appropriate planting methods and the importance of utilizing native species.
• Each year in April, the Cambridge team celebrates Earth Month, which includes a week dedicated to educating employees about biodiversity. Information is shared via posters, email and TV screens throughout the site, and employees can participate in an online quiz to evaluate what they’ve learned.
• Toyota Cambridge originally installed six nest boxes for cavity-nesting birds in May 2016, with the goal of providing nesting habitat for tree swallows. The team replaced all six nest boxes with new ones in 2019 and now partners with the Ontario Eastern Bluebird Society (OEBS) to monitor the boxes. They use the OEBS protocol to monitor the boxes weekly between May and July, checking for the presence of nests, eggs and fledglings.
• The boxes have successfully attracted tree swallows to use them, and 25 baby tree swallows fledged from the boxes in 2022.