What we are doing together

The Southern Ontario Seed Strategy will help prioritize actions to help grow more native plants, grow them better, and set a course for future restoration. The SOSS seeks to restore relationships with native plants in Southern Ontario. Native plants gift our world with resilience, integrity, stability, beauty, connection, love, wonder and hope. They come from wild, local communities and have deep relationships with other native organisms and are adapted to local land and water. Despite being often marginalized as weeds, native plants are powerful in their ability to protect the water, air, and soil, supporting ecosystems and quality of life for all. 

Colonialism has created crises of extinction and climate and adds millions of exotic plants to the landscape every year. With ancient ingenuity, native plants show us another way forward to regenerate relationships for healthy and sustainable landscapes. They share potential to connect hearts, minds, bodies, knowledge, habitat, and opportunities for all generations to thrive. By prioritizing locally grown and sourced seeds, we will learn about our native species, the land and each other. The seeds we protect, and plant now will define our future . 

By working together through the development of the SOSS, we are increasing our capacity to protect and propagate the diversity of native seeds and plants we need to restore, enhance and expand healthy landscapes. We will explore ways to: 

• Support Indigenous-led rematriation and seed sovereignty
• Protect genetic diversity of seeds
• Create space for native plants everywhere from local sources
• Empower people to grow healthy vital native plant populations

The SOSS collective gathers monthly in ethical space to work together on developing a seed strategy through knowledge sharing, discussion, and working groups. The collective development of a draft strategy is to be completed by early 2024.

SOSS Collective Meeting Schedule