About Us
Plants for places, wildlife, and people.
What We Do
Origin Native Plants is your source for high-quality native plants. Our plants are grown using seed collected ethically from sites throughout southern Ontario and Manitoulin Island.
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Founded in 2019, Origin Native Plants is a small nursery nestled within the agricultural lands of the Ignatius Jesuit Centre, a thriving community committed to organic agriculture, ecological restoration, and environmental education.
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Origin Native Plants was inspired by Grand Moraine Growers, a plant nursery in Alma, Ontario with 25 years of experience in exceeding the needs of their clients. Under the guidance of owners Paul Sheppard and Jim Dougan, we will continue to offer the same high-quality plants.
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At ONP, we collect our own seed and use solar power to run our water and light system.
Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris)
Wild Blue Flag (Iris versicolor)
Who We Are
Alexzander Gareth Smith
Alex is a Certified Ecosystem Restoration Practitioner with 20 years of experience in restoration, green building, design, and management. Alex specializes in ecological restoration, drawing on expertise in fluvial geomorphology, glacial geology, ecosystem disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR), coastal processes, shoreline stabilization, and low impact development (LID) solutions. Their work encompasses a wide range of projects, including watershed stabilization, the creation of fish and aquatic habitats, and the design and implementation of innovative rainwater management systems.
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