Collaborating for a Greener Future

Since 1998, Willow Park Ecology Centre (WPEC) has transformed into a thriving hub for education and conservation, engaging thousands of students and community members through collaboration and a vision of sustainability.

Vision and Values

Our mission is to empower the community in sustainable environmental conservation, with a vision of a community living in harmony with nature. Guided by our core values, we strive to make this vision a reality:

  • Leadership and Integrity through strong commitment to community contribution.

  • Collaboration for mutually beneficial results.

  • Stewardship through experiential education and all-ages mentorship.

  • Inclusiveness, ensuring an accessible, welcoming, and diverse park space.

Impact and Awards

Since its founding in 1998, WPEC has repeatedly received formal recognition for the excellence of its programs and projects earning prestigious awards for its work in restoration ecology, educational programming, and community leadership and engagement.

Awards include: Arts Alive Award for Heritage 2017 for restoration and enhancement of local natural heritage, from the Halton Hills Cultural Roundtable. Three Awards of Merit (2002, 2010, 2016) from Credit Valley Conservation Friends of the Credit. The 2016 award recognized community engagement and leadership of the Hungry Hollow Collaborative to improve the natural health of Hungry Hollow. Recognition also came from Conservation Halton (Urban Restoration Stewardship Award) in 2006 and the Ontario Trillium Foundation (Environment Award) in 2010.

The Centre has completed several large grant-funded projects, restoring habitats for wildlife (both at WPEC and upstream in Hungry Hollow) and developing unique public and educational programs. It has provided science-curriculum-linked environmental education to over 13,500 students and engaged around 1,000 people annually through volunteer and community programs. WPEC donates an estimated $60,000 annually to the Town of Halton Hills through in-kind time and materials.

A Rich History of Leadership and Impact

The land known as Willow Park Ecology Centre is owned by Credit Valley Conservation and was once a year-round trailer park decommissioned in the 1980s due to recurring flooding, including Hurricane Hazel in 1954.

In 1998 the Town of Halton Hills, guided by its Environment Advisory Committee (TEAC), envisioned transforming this site into a unique urban nature park. The vision was inspired by Peterborough’s Greenup Ecology Park. With funding secured from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (3 grants over 14 years) and the dedication of countless volunteers and community partners, the area was restored into a thriving, habitat-rich riparian ecosystem offering education programs to schools in Halton and Peel Regions.

Leadship for ecology restoration was continued during a second major ecosystem restoration project in 2015-2019. Initiation and leadership of the 7-member Hungry Hollow Collaborative delivered habitat enhancement upstream along Silver Creek within the Hungry Hollow ravine. The Hungry Hollow Restoration Project removed invasive Eurpean buckthorn and then planted native species to enhance succession and reduce regrowth.

Today, WPEC serves as a hub for environmental education, restoration, and recreation. The park is maintained with the support of the Town’s Parks and Works departments and continues to grow as a community resource for generations to come.

A Hidden Jem in Historic Norval

The Centre is nestled in the ravine lands of Norval, a village steeped in history and natural beauty. Settled in 1820 by John McNabb, Norval became an industrial hub with mills powered by the renewable energy of the Credit River. Then, in the 1830’s George Kennedy (namesake of Georgetown) settled near the valley and prospered using mills powered by Silver Creek. Through rail access, it gained popularity as a recreational destination for Toronto’s elite. In addition, Lucy Maud Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables, called Norval home from 1926–1935 describing the magic of its “pine forests and gurgling river” (Smithsonian Magazine).

The Centre is a hidden jem at the confluence of Silver Creek and the Credit River in the Credit River Watershed. Located within the biodiversity hotspot known as the Credit River – Hungry Hollow Centre of Biodiversity (CVC CRWNHS Natural-Heritage-System) stewardship efforts are hugely significant for conservation. The vibrant ravine ecosystem not only supports educational programs but also contributes to the ecological health of the region, connecting Norval’s rich natural history with its promising future.

Finally, all stewardship and education activities encompass the significance of “Ontario landscape level conservation” because of the importance of the Credit River in helping to recharge Lake Ontario’s water basin (endorsed by grant funding secured from the MNR and Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Canada 2017-2019 for the Hungry Hollow Collaborative Project).

Meet our Staff and Volunteer Board of Directors

  • Tunde Otto, MSc

    Executive Director

    I became a founding member of WPEC while on the Town’s Environment Advisory Committe. A restoration ecologist and educator, I aim to foster environmental sustainability! I created the Centre’s Complementary 7-Program System. Its “sustainability literacy” from hands-on programs to connect to, and care for, nearby nature. 

    “Come Outside and Feel Empowered”. Integrate gained environmental insights into your everyday life!

  • Nicole Pereira

    Chair

    My goal with Willow Park is to bring my passion for the environment to ensure a legacy of environmental protections and preservation across generations.

    Environmental stewardship develops when individuals connect with nature, so I encourage everyone to volunteer, attend our programs and events, to feel the impact the Ecology Centre has on Norval and the local community.

  • James Crawford

    Director and Treasurer

    As a Federal Regulatory Specialist, I saw the devastating effect invasive species have on our environment. Combined with urban sprawl and climate change the results is an environment under constant attack.

    At Willow Park Ecology Centre, there is opportunity for young students – and adults, to learn how to be stewards of our environment in hopes that it will survive and thrive for many more generations to come.

  • Christine Bradshaw

    Secretary

    I am deeply passionate about community building and environmental stewardship as both have a profound impact on the health and well-being of individuals and society. 

    Willow Park provides me, and the community, the opportunity to support these causes.

  • Devon Doane

    Director

    This is a great opportunity to use my expertise to help an organization with a common goal - preserve our environment & get outdoors!

    Volunteering at Willow Park Ecology is an awesome way to connect with nature and yourself.

  • Charmaine Karunaratne

    Director

    Driven by passion for preservation of natural areas, I advocate for experiential learning within them to connect people with distinctive flora and fauna of habitats and to fully appreciate nature’s beauty.

    Explore WPEC’s Strategic Plan, learn how we’re working toward these goals. Recycle, Reuse and Upcycle to protect the environment.

  • Paulina Fedko

    Director

    I’m excited to contribute to future strategic plans and continue being part of something greater than myself.

    Check out our support efforts to incorporate environmental education and inspire a love for nature within our community.

  • Luke Thomas

    Director

    I love that I am supporting conservation efforts in my own community and get to contribute to nurturing knowledge and skills for a greener future.

    “There’s no wi-fi in the forest, but you’ll never find a better connection.”

  • Shoaib Akram

    Director

    Willow Park Ecology Centre helps me share my passion for environmental stewardship.

    Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty!

  • Linda S. Hillman

    Director

    There are several passions I support, but environmental and wildlife habitat will always trump them all. 

    The environment is where we all meet; where we all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share” - Lady Bird Johnson

  • Kashmira Dhamorikar

    Description goes here

Join Us On Our Journey

Whether you volunteer, attend an event, or support us with a donation, you’re helping to create a greener future locally and globally! Together, let’s nurture a lifelong connection with nature.