High Park in Focus
A 360° experience of Toronto's Black Oak Savanna
Introduction
Welcome to our interactive 360-degree High Park Garry Oak Savanna experience where we will delve into the complexities of Toronto's unique savanna ecosystems. Navigate this virtual expedition to unravel the complexities of savanna ecosystems, understanding the unique characteristics of resident organisms, and learn about the various ecological restoration projects working to remove invasive species from the park to reestablish native species. This tour follows various trails and roads located within High Park, starting just north of the Grenadier Cafe and ending near the park's North Gate.
This tour takes place on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. They hold traditional knowledge of the region’s plants, animals, weather and climate, which they have passed down through the generations. We recognize, honour, and respect the traditional lands upon which we have been able to create this tour. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit.
Travel to the Tour Site
Before we embark on our 360 virtual expedition, it's essential to understand the 'why' behind our journey. Beyond the pixels and panoramic views lies a purpose – a desire to extend the reach of our educational experience. By traveling digitally to High Park, we aim to showcase the diverse opportunities, unique landscapes, and educational environments that await beyond our familiar borders. This includes a glimpse into the realm of land-based education, offering insights into hands-on learning experiences that connect students with the natural world.
University of British Columbia
Welcome to our campus, the starting point for a unique digital experience. Before we kick off this 360 tour, it's essential to note that our university sits three hours away from where you will be exploring in High Park. Through the magic of technology, we have been able to bring a slice of urban ecology directly to you. Join us on this virtual adventure, where distance dissolves, offering a glimpse into the exceptional ecosystems present within High Park.
Let the exploration begin!
Traveling
In recognizing the geographical challenge posed by the journey to High Park, whether from Vancouver or within Toronto, accessibility becomes a paramount concern. For many students and young individuals lacking access to transportation, constrained by time commitments, and limited by the economic barriers, the journey becomes impractical, imposing a substantial opportunity cost. This virtual tour serves as a transformative solution, eliminating the need for arduous travel, expense, and time constraints. By providing a streamlined avenue to gain foundational insights into ecology, we aim to break down barriers, making ecological learning more inclusive and attainable for everyone.
High Park
Venturing within the park provides a unique avenue for acquiring knowledge through personal experiences with nature. It provides an immersive understanding of ecology within urban contexts and the dedication of those working within the park. However, physical barriers often impede students from engaging in field science. Trails off the major roads within the park are placed on fairly rugged terrain, with dense plant growth along the trail, presenting challenges to many and hindering their ability to fully engage with nature. Recognizing these obstacles, virtual tours emerge as a solution, offering all students the chance to partake in land-based experiences. By eliminating the physical barriers prevalent in traditional field trips, virtual exploration can pave the way for inclusive and accessible ecological learning.
Meet the Faculty Leads:
Introduction to the High Park VR Experience, with Dr. Nina Hewitt, UBC Geography
Introduction with Dr. Sarah Peirce, University of Toronto, Earth Sciences (in 360 - scroll around scene to follow speaker and view environs)
Take the Tour!
Instructions:
To open in full screen (recommended), you can press F11 or navigate the drop down menu in the bottom right corner of the tour. Scroll around the 360 images in the 360 tour below to explore each scene. As you explore the scenes, click on the icons located throughout the area to access information cards, optional questions, videos or other internet resources. For the best experience, make sure your sound is turned on.
Credits
Note to Instructors: Additional instructional resources accompanying this trip are available. Let us know if you would like to obtain those, or if you have any questions. We welcome your feedback! Email: nina.hewitt@ubc.ca
Project Lead: Dr. Nina Hewitt, Geography, University of British Columbia (UBC) - conception, storyboarding, scripting, field media creation and media co-production; liaison with High Park Staff (2020-25) Undergraduate WorkLearn Assistants: Andrew Yan, BSc, Geographical Sciences, UBC (2023-4) Katelyn Croy, BA, Environment and Sustainability, UBC (2024-5) - media co-development, Storymap draft (AY), audio narration (KC), 3D Vista programming Project co-Lead: Dr. Sarah Peirce, Earth Sciences, University of Toronto - field coordination and field media creation (2022-2025) Collaborators: Jaclyn Scobie, High Park Team, City of Toronto, Environment, Climate Change and Forestry division - content expert, scripting, stop planning, field media creation (2023-25) And: Other members of the High Park restoration team who shared their work, insights and passion with Hewitt's Biogeography and Soils classes, esp: Jennifer Gibb, Cara Webster & Lisa McLean (2006-2017)
Acknowledgements:
Special thanks to the City of Toronto for script approval and supporting our project. We are particularly grateful to the High Park restoration team and crew members who facilitated ecosystem tours in Hewitt's York U and UT courses, and who contributed to the conceptualization of this resource. This would not have happened without your inspiration and dedication to park restoration ecology and the community! We are grateful to the technical assistance of the UBC tech team, especially Andrew MacDonald, Kellen Malek and Porter Abbey. Thanks to Jon Szto for joining our team as an intern and contributing some lovely botanical cards. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support for this project provided by UBC Worklearn Funding (2023 and 2024 to NH); and UBC Vancouver students via the Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund to NH.
We acknowledge the stewardship of these traditional lands by many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples, without whom this biodiverse savanna, as we understand it, would not have existed.
Hewitt, N., A. Yan, K. Croy, S. Peirce and J Scobie (2025) High park in focus: A 360° experience of Toronto's Black oak savanna, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Based on work at: https://arcg.is/0SuuuT
Sources and Resources
Information panels included in the tour and References cited therein
Additional References:
Reeves, Andrew. "Invasive Species in Canada: Plants" The Canadian Encyclopedia. 2019. InvasiveSpecies in Canada: Plants | The Canadian Encyclopedia . Accessed October 4 2023
Invasive Species Centre. "Learn about invasive species". Learn about invasive Species – Invasive Species Centre . 2023. Accessed October 4, 2023.
Merriam-Webster. "Weed Species". 2023. Weed species Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster . Accessed October 4, 2023.
Province of B.C. "Integrated Pest Management". 2023. Integrated Pest Management - Province of British Columbia (gov.bc.ca) . Accessed October 4, 2023.
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. “A Botanical Inventory and Evaluation of the High Park Oak Woodlands – Area of Natural and Scientific Interest”. 1989. Varga-Report-1989-s.pdf(highparknature.org) ;
Toronto & Region Conservation Authority. “High Park Terrestrial Biological Inventory”. 2019. High-Park_Terrestrial_Inventory_Report_2019_Final.pdf (trcaca.s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com)
