Welcome to the Green Communities Guide

The Green Communities Guide is an essential tool to help communities plan and implement nature-based solutions and strategies to conserve water, protect water quality, preserve agricultural land, and protect critical open spaces and wildlife habitat.

The Forgotten Solution

Why Green Communities? Because nature is one of the most effective ways of combating climate change and nature-based climate solutions - actions that are in harmony with nature that incorporate nature conservation and support biodiversity protection - can provide cost-effective approaches to mitigate climate change.

A Complete Online Resource

Designed for use by municipal planners, developers, community groups and more, this living resource highlights innovative, nature-based approaches communities are taking to managing development with respect to its impacts on our natural systems. This Guide features innovative approaches to sustainable development including riparian management, xeriscaping, naturalization, storm water wetlands, brownfield reclamation, permaculture and much more, and includes recommended practices and project considerations as well as the business, nature and community-side of each nature-based solution.

Jump into the Guide

The Stewardship Directory

A valuable companion resource to the Green Communities Guide, this online directory helps connect community stewardship groups, organizations, businesses and governments to share their experiences and lessons learned in stewardship and natural resource management.

Browse the Directory

The Latest News

View all news

Bruce Power reducing carbon through investments in NBS on Ontario farms

The New Acre™ Project from Bruce Power's Carbon Offset Coalition is investing $1 million in NBS projects on Ontario farms in Bruce and Grey Counties. The project is teaming up with ALUS and local farmers…

IISD looks to NBS to support at-risk water infrastructure in the Prairies

With water infrastructure budgets falling behind in the face of additional pressures from climate change in the Prairies, the International Institute for Sustainable Development is touting the use and…

Ontario's Lambton and Huron Counties host NBS for Drainage tour

Hosted by partners of the Healthy Lake Huron initiative, nearly 50 municipal superintendents and engineers had a tour to learn more about incorporating NBS, including wetlands, into municipal drainage. …

Wawanesa announces $2 million annual fund for climate resiliency

Insurance company announced a $2 million/year program called Wawanesa Climate Champions to support climate resiliency.  Through the Environmental Guardians aspect of this program, funding will support…

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris announces $562 million for NBS to protect coastlines

Noting the ability of NBS to mitigate the impacts of storm surges and hurricanes along U.S. coastlines, Vice President Harris added, "And by the way, natural infrastructure is often more effective than…

Halifax Regional Municipality & Ottawa team up to protect Shore Road with NBS

A portion of Shore Road, in Eastern Passage, NS, has been prioritized for the implementation of NBS to add climate resiliency from both coastal and overland pressures. The area has already been reinforced…