Hard-working nature lovers protect the unspoiled beauty of Todmorden Mills

TORONTO, ON - June 16 Volunteer Ed Scherer stands on a slope by the roadside at Todmorden that has seen radical transformation from being overrun by garlic mustards to seeing some native plants tip the balance. Ed often tasks on the more physically taxing work among volunteers. Volunteers have been practicing stewardship as they regularly battle the effects of urbanization and invasive species personally, yanking out unwanted plants, etc. As a result the preserve is a model for restoring native plants and habitat that existed before European settlement. The work of volunteers has increased biodiversity in the flora and fauna (frogs, turtles and pollinators are back). June 16, 2025 Michelle Mengsu Chang/Toronto Star Michelle Mengsu Chang/Toronto Star (Michelle Mengsu Chang/Toronto Star via Getty Images)