We are Ontario’s Native Seed & Ecological Restoration Partner
St. Williams Ecology Centre is a field-scale native seed producer and ecological restoration partner serving projects across Ontario. We coordinate the biological infrastructure behind restoration—scaling regionally adapted seed, forecasting production years in advance and aligning ecological goals with agricultural realities.
Built for Scale. Grounded in Science.
From mine reclamation and hydro corridors to municipal naturalization and large landscape initiatives, we work with partners who require reliability, volume and genetic integrity at scale, including:
- Cities, municipalities and conservation authorities
- Utilities, mines and infrastructure companies
- Environmental contractors and consultants
- Parks, land trusts and conservation organizations
- Aerial and drone-based seeding partners
Our consulting and project support includes:
- Restoration forecasting and multi-year production planning
- Provenance strategy and regional genetic sourcing
- Custom seed mix development
- Species selection for specific site conditions
- Supply coordination for large-scale implementation
Field-Scale Production in St. Williams
Our operations include up to six acres of greenhouse space, more than an acre of warehouse and processing space, and several hundred acres of fields available for native seed and plant production. These facilities allow us to move projects from seed collection and propagation through field-scale production, processing and final supply.
St. Williams is located within Ontario’s Carolinian zone, one of Canada’s most biologically diverse and ecologically threatened regions. The surrounding landscape includes forests, wetlands, tallgrass prairies, oak savannas and sand barrens that support many rare plants, wildlife and species at risk.
The broader Long Point Walsingham Forest region is recognized by Environment and Climate Change Canada as a Priority Place for biodiversity conservation. Our nursery is also located beside the E.C. Zavitz Forest, the Nursery Tract of the St. Williams Conservation Reserve, which is managed to restore rare ecosystems, conserve biodiversity and protect species at risk.
Our History in St. Williams
The Ecology Centre operates on the historic grounds of the St. Williams Forestry Station, established in 1908 as Canada’s first forestry station. When the Province of Ontario stepped away from nursery production in 1998, operations continued under ForestCare. St. Williams Nursery & Ecology Centre took over the nursery in 2010, continuing the site’s long history of growing trees and plants and supporting landscape restoration.
In 2026, we began a renewed focus on field-scale native seed production and ecological restoration under the name St. Williams Ecology Centre.
Today, our facilities include:
- Up to six acres of greenhouse production space
- More than one acre of warehouse, seed-cleaning and processing space
- Several hundred acres of production fields
- In-house seed testing and quality control
- Specialized harvesting and production equipment
- Nursery propagation and overwintering facilities
This history and setting continue to shape our work, our commitment to native seed production and ecological restoration, and our broader relationship with the land.
We follow the North American Native Plant Society’s guidelines for commercial native plant growers and Society for Ecological Restoration principles for ethical wild collection and ecological integrity.
We adhere to Native Plant Guidelines for Commercial Growers and Society of Ecological Restoration principles for ethical wild collection and ecological integrity.
Contact us to inquire about project services and partnership opportunties.
Video by St. Williams Nursery with special thanks to Beairsto Aerophoto for drone videography and editing support.