Earth Day is year-round at the YMCA

Each year on April 22^nd, Earth Day provides a time to reflect on the environment and the part we play in it.

In the Greater Toronto Area the YMCA’s Green Initiatives are as diverse as our programs. Just north of Toronto, YMCA Cedar Glen Outdoor Centre is an important natural area within the Oak Ridges Moraine, where the YMCA offers Day Camps and Outdoor Education programs that focus on the environment.

Bobolink

In the Greater Toronto Area, drinking water for over 200,000 residents comes from the Oak Ridges Moraine which was formed over 13,000 years ago as glaciers retreated and meltwater deposited large amounts of sand and gravel in ridges and mounds.  Stretching from Cobourg in the east to the Niagara Escarpment in the west, the Oak Ridges Moraine covers 1900 square kilometers of Southern Ontario. With 263 acres, YMCA Cedar Glen makes up a small, but important, part of the Moraine.

The Oak Ridges Moraine is an important habitat for many plant and animal species considered provincial or national species at risk. YMCA Cedar Glen is home to one such species, the Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), a medium-sized songbird that nests in grassy areas. A portion of the property at YMCA Cedar Glen has been set aside as a natural Bobolink habitat.

Hike at Cedar Glen

The natural environment at YMCA Cedar Glen helps to make it a special place to learn about and appreciate the outdoors for children, youth and adults. Whether it’s an environmental science day camp, outdoor education program, or visiting the organic farm, YMCA Cedar Glen offers many opportunities to learn about the natural environment.

Learn more today about opportunities to get outdoors:

• Day Camps offer Environmental Science Camp, Farm Camp and many other Day Camp programs
• Outdoor Education programs allow students to get out of the classroom and spend time outdoors as part of a school field trip
• Family Camp offers families the chance to get out of the city and spend a weekend together at YMCA Cedar Glen