A $400,000 project is underway in Niagara Falls to help revitalize Dufferin Islands, just steps away from the Horseshoe Falls.
The Dufferin Islands Visitor Experience and Ecological Enhancement Initiative aims to strengthen the environmental sustainability of the area, while supporting meaningful nature experiences for guests.
Work will include trail realignment and accessibility, and protecting sensitive areas, such as nesting sites and habitats of rare plant species.
So far, work on the site includes shoreline erosion mitigation, with the planting of over 7,500 native trees, shrubs and wildflowers.
Traffic patterns will change, including establishing Burning Springs Hill, as a one-way entrance into Dufferin Islands, which came into effect this spring.
"Moving forward, guests will only be able to enter Burning Springs Hill from Portage Road and all guests will exit the Islands via the Niagara Parkway. Previously, Niagara Parks reversed the direction of traffic throughout the Islands, establishing new entrance and exit points to increase the safety of motorists and pedestrians and support visitation during the Winter Festival of Lights, which brings high volumes of vehicles into Dufferin Islands."
Niagara Parks is reminding guests not to feed wildlife at the site.
"Over time, this has become a significant issue and contributing factor to many of the ecological challenges the Dufferin Islands Visitor Experience and Ecological Enhancement Initiative is attempting to address."
Through the Niagara Parks Foundation, TD Bank Group committed $400,000 to launch the initiative.