Site 1: The Humber Bay Butterfly Habitat at Humber Bay Park East

1. The Humber Bay Butterfly Habitat (HBBH) is located in Humber Bay Park East, a large waterfront park on the shore of Lake Ontario in the west end of Toronto. The Habitat takes up a fairly large area in the Park – perhaps as much as a few acres – and is split into two main areas: a stormwater management area to the west and a “home garden” area to the east. A long bridge spans across the stormwater management area and has three piers running perpendicularly off one side. The three piers (which are blocked off to public access) essentially split the north half of the inlet into four separate areas, and each has one or two (for a total of six) small floating man-made nesting habitats to accommodate some of the migrating bird species that come to the area. The “home garden” area focuses on the local wildlife with winding paths running through the tall grass and bushes, and is built around a well-manicured semi-circular sitting area featuring several outdoor art pieces made of welded steel. A roadway runs along the lakeshore, behind the Habitat and throughout a large portion of Humber Bay Park East.

The entrance to the HBBH is clearly demarcated with two deliberately placed inscribed boulders on either side of the path. In addition to this, the Park rules and regulations and other legal notices are posted on several signs just to the side of the path that leads into the Habitat so anyone who enters is aware of the proper conduct. There are also signs and placards set up along the distance of the trail, with information about the Park and Habitat and the local flora and fauna that one can find within them. Most of the paths are paved, although some of the smaller paths are not, and wooden fences or large boulders that line the paths ensure that visitors don’t stray too far. There is an abundance of plants, grasses, wildflowers and trees in the area, but most of the green grasses and plants have turned to brown thanks to the colder weather and shorter days of fall. I spent about two hours at this site, between approximately 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. on a Sunday in early November. There was enough natural light when I was there, but the entire area is lined with decorative lampposts at regular intervals so the area can be used by residents after dark. The weather that day was fairly typical (pleasant) early-autumn weather: approximately 14 degrees Celsius and partially cloudy. The hum of cars speeding by on Lakeshore Boulevard, The Queensway, and Gardiner Expressway created a white noise that constantly permeated the background. People were consistently moving through the area, and I could hear them talking, laughing, and even singing as I made my way through the paths. The sounds of civilization would be occasionally interrupted by a seagull squaking or a duck landing in the bay. A dog barked in response to both once or twice. Less obvious sounds, like chains on dog leashes or people’s footsteps on the gravel paths, added to the clatter.

2. While there may not have been as much pedestrian and vehicular traffic as there would have been on a warm and sunny summer afternoon, several people of all ages and races were visiting the Habitat that day, the majority of them simply walking through the paths and enjoying the site and the mild autumn weather. Almost everyone I saw was in groups of two or more; friends, couples, and families all coming to spend the afternoon together at the Park. Two young women were sitting on the first park bench I approached, having a conversation as a couple passed by. A few people were jogging, several rode passed by on bikes, and a few more on inline skates. One woman was singing a tune as she made her way through the winding paths. I saw a few people taking pictures while I was there; one man in particular had an expensive looking camera and was taking a picture of a beaver that (much to my delight) decided to make an appearance as I arrived.

3. One of the first things I noticed when I arrived at the Habitat was the smell of the Mr. Christie factory that sits on the opposite side of Lakeshore Boulevard, less than a half kilometre away. Depending on which way the wind is blowing, in this area you tend to smell either the Mr. Christie factory, Lake Ontario (i.e. rotting fish), or the sewage treatment plant on The Queensway, so I suppose it was my lucky day. The occasional car passed by as I walked to the HBBH entrance, but it seemed fairly quiet for a Sunday afternoon, most likely because of the dropping temperature. Another thing I notice once I start touring is the way the designers have tried to hide or obscure the signs of human interference in the area. Man-made elements are scattered throughout the Habitat, such as the welded steel art piece or the informational placards and signs I mentioned above, but they have all been carefully incorporated into the design. On the other hand, those essential, more utilitarian elements (such as utility boxes) that are necessary to run the Habitat are placed well off the pathway or hidden in the dense plants in order to maintain the illusion of "pure" nature for the visitor.

It is now obvious to me that the Habitat has been carefully designed in the hopes of eliciting a very specific response from the people who visit. The plants have all been specially selected and planted, yet they are arranged and cared for in such a way that it all feels very wild and unrestrained. In some areas the trees and grasses grow above eye level, blocking out many of the signs of civilization that linger in the background. Several paths fork into different directions allowing people to feel like they are taking a random route of their choosing, yet they all lead to the same place in the end, ensuring they everyone who visits follows a very specific route and sees everything the designers wanted them to see. They were actually quite successful in their approach, as I found myself feeling a bit lost once or twice, even with the bare trees and thinning grasses that allowed me to orient myself much easier than would have been for someone visiting in the full growth of summer.

4. I couldn’t help but think of the “first nature/second nature” distinction we discussed in class when I walked through the Habitat. Years of pollution and neglect destroyed almost all of the "first nature" that once existed on those shores, and in response, many city residents likely wrote it off as a potential weekend destination. Finally recognizing its potential, the City has gone out of its way to restore the area by creating an area of “second nature,” providing visitors with a slice of nature in the city while the Toronto skyline lurks consistently in the background. I found it interesting that the fact that the developers used only native species of plants in their design was continuously emphasised, considering that in many cases they had to re-introduce species that had previously been removed or destroyed. And when they were finally returned to the area, it was done in such a way that was specific and deliberate, carefully designed, planted and manicured.

Anne Whiston Spirn's analysis of nature within the city in the SUDR also came to mind during my visit. While nature is an integral part of life in the city, it often seems as though it is an afterthought in many aspects of development. A small concrete base filled with soil and a few potted plants often passes for a "green space." Living in a large city like Toronto, we often spend far more time in our "granite garden" than we would like. The creation of spaces like the HBBH, where nature is not an afterthought but rather the motivation for its existence, helps to make the city a more liveable place and encourages people to develop a better relationship with their environment. I also thought of the Pucher, Komanoff, and Shimek article about a "bicycling renaissance" when I stopped trying to count the amount of people who rode past me on bikes and inline skates. This area is extremely bike- and skate-friendly, with its paved paths and beautiful scenery, and its very design encourages people to get out of their cars and enjoy the area using a "human-powered" mode of transportation for a change.

5. The Humber Bay Butterfly Habitat is interesting because it was specifically created to set up a human/nature relationship by being a man-made "green space" in the middle of the concrete sea that is Toronto. At the same time, it serves a practical purpose for the city. For example, the stormwater management facility collects runoff and filters the water through a series of screens before returning it to Lake Ontario. This could have been an ugly, intrusive addition to the area, but instead it was artistically incorporated into the design, creating a place for the people to enjoy as well. The Habitat also serves an educational purpose, teaching visitors about the local environment with its series of informational signs and placards. Perhaps most importantly, entry to the area is entirely free of charge which means that even the poorest families can spend an entire day there. The most prohibitive factor to its access may be its location, but it is completely accessible by car and the TTC has a bus route that can drop you off almost right at the entrance.

The area has been created with the specific intent of creating a space of nature within the city, but it has been done in a very deliberate and controlled manner. By the very nature of their construction, it is apparent that visitors are not encouraged to walk off the paths that wind through the area. People are expected to take a very specific path and follow a specific plan while they are there. Certain areas encourage the visitor to pass through quickly, and others encourage the visitor to stop and observe their surroundings. Seating areas are deliberately placed along the way, increasing the chance that people will stop in specific spots. In other words, instead of allowing people to experience nature organically, the people who designed the HBBH have framed nature so the visitor experiences it in a way that corresponds with their vision. The designers have essentially taken the "wild" out of the wildlife. They have ensured that people will feel close to nature - but not too close.

At the same time, the area is "natural" enough to help make the visitor feel like they have escaped the city environment, providing an almost rural respite in one of the most urban areas in North America. For people who don't have a cottage or who don't have the money to go one a camping trip, areas like this may be one of the few ways those Torontonians can find some sort of connection to nature. I don't think it is a coincidence that the area is surrounded by condominiums. Speaking from experience, the closest many condo owners tend to be able to get to nature is a few potted plants on the window sill. Areas like this, essentially in their backyard, allow those people some respite from the almost claustrophobic experience that can be condo living.

The HBBH is an example of an urban site that tries very hard to foster a beneficial and co-operative human/nature connection, and in my opinion, does a good job of doing so. While many aspects of the area are completely controlled, the designers also incorporated enough aspects of the natural environment into their project to make the HBBH feel more "natural" than many other green spaces in the city. The design of the Habitat encourages people to get out of their cars and be physical, and the attractiveness of the area encourages people to become more aware of their connection to nature. For a lifelong city dweller like myself, seeing a beaver in the wild like I did during my visit was a pretty special experience, and I could tell that many other people who also spotted him felt the same. Real life experiences like that can not be replicated or simulated.