The City of Kitchener has developed a management plan for the ecological management, restoration, and stewardship of the Westheights Park Natural Area (Westheights Park). Westheights Park is a key natural feature within the city. It supports biodiversity and habitat for wildlife. It also contributes to the physical and mental wellbeing of the surrounding community.
Westheights Park’s ecological functions and local community have matured and evolved over time. It is important to plan for how this special natural area in the City will be protected, restored, enhanced and managed into the future.
This project will:
- create a vision for Westheights Park
- develop a plan to protect the natural features
- offer opportunities for community members to become ecological stewards
How to get involved
To effectively manage and restore this area, we are gathering data to understand the current conditions of the flora (plant life) and fauna (animals) using iNaturalist.
Create a free account, then take and upload images of any flora and fauna you see in the Westheights Park Natural Area. They will be automatically added to our data base for the area. Even after this project is complete, you can continue to use iNaturalist to share and explore observations of the natural area. To see all the photos, visit our project Westheights Park Natural Area(External link).
We are hosting volunteer stewardship opportunities throughout the year, including:
- litter clean‑ups
- invasive species removal
- planting days for pollinator and woodland restoration
- support for habitat enhancement projects
We’ll announce dates on this as they become available. To get notified by email, click the +Follow button at the top of this page.
Restoration Projects (2026)
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Timeline item 1 - active
Phragmites management
This includes removal of dead stalks, herbicide treatment of new growth, and post‑treatment monitoring to confirm successful control.
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Timeline item 2 - active
Education and stewardship activities
Community clean-up events, invasive species removal days, restoration planting, and installation of educational signage around the pond.
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Timeline item 3 - active
Habitat enhancement features installation
Installation of Wood Duck nesting boxes, a turtle nesting beach, and pollinator habitat enhancements such as meadow and garden plantings.
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Timeline item 4 - incomplete
Woodland restoration
Removal of invasive plants followed by replanting of native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers to restore woodland biodiversity.
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Timeline item 5 - incomplete
Project complete
We have carried out the actions of the management plan and the outcomes are documented here.
