Blogs

For the past five years LEAF has been working with Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) tenants to green their communities and strengthen community ties. Meet one of the TCHC tenants we’ve been lucky to work with: Anthony Foster. As a Tree Care Team member, Anthony cares for two trees on his property through regular watering and mulching. Anthony is a keen and knowledgeable community member who understands the impact of planting native trees today for a better tomorrow. Maiesha, our Education and Stewardship Intern, interviewed Anthony about his experience being a steward of his community.

LEAF was lucky to take part in the Miziwe Biik Earth Tending: Green Infrastructure Training Program this spring. In collaboration with SpruceLab, we teamed up with a group of Indigenous community members to plant 100 trees and shrubs in Richmond Hill. The intention of the gathering was for both groups to work towards a common goal of naturalizing David Hamilton Park, while sharing ecological, cultural and skill-building knowledge with one another.

Since 2018, LEAF has delivered almost 1,000 native shrubs to Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) tenants through the TCHC Planting and Stewardship Initiative! Through this program, TCHC tenants request native shrubs, plant them within their communities, and care for them while receiving training and support from LEAF. This past spring, LEAF staff delivered 250 native shrubs to TCHC tenants and captured some of the highlights.

We are so proud to have continued growing the urban forest in York Region this spring by planting 2,000 trees and shrubs on public land! We partnered with the City of Richmond Hill, the Township of King and the City of Markham to complete nine naturalization planting events. Our Naturalization Assistant, Khawlah, reflects on her planting experience.

Do you have a small yard with limited space to plant? LEAF has just the thing for you! We have curated a Small Yard Shrub Bundle to include four native shrubs designed for smaller spaces. These small, but mighty shrubs will add greenery and biodiversity to your yard and provide delicious snacks for both you and local wildlife!