Sarah Halonen's posts

Meet Peter, Certified Arborist, Master Gardener and LEAF volunteer. This Urban Forest Champion is a life-long tree advocate who is committed to sharing his knowledge and experiences and inspiring passion for the urban forest within others

Our volunteer Garden Steward Teams recently gathered to celebrate the longer days and warmer weather by waking up our Urban Forest Demonstration Gardens. From planting and dividing perennials to chopping dead plant material to use as cost-effective mulch, our Garden Stewards had fun working together for a successful start to the gardening season!

A new year brings new volunteer opportunities to steward, connect with and learn about the urban forest. Our volunteers play a critical role in supporting our community programs and helping us improve the urban forest. As a result, we strive to ensure that every volunteer that participates with LEAF – no matter the role – has a meaningful, fulfilling and fun experience! To highlight some of our upcoming volunteer opportunities, we chatted with three LEAF volunteers to get a first-hand account of their adventures.

Is the cold and dark of winter getting you down? While we can’t change the weather or amount of daylight, there are ways we can boost our mood and energy levels. Sarah, our Stewardship Coordinator, shares some easy, accessible and therapeutic nature-based activities to help you beat those winter blues.

Have you ever wondered how plants get their names? On a sunny Saturday morning, our Stewardship Coordinator met with a group of garden stewards at the LEAF Learning Garden for a look into the facts and folklore behind plant names. The group explored the use of scientific vs common names, how plant names can lend clues to their identification, as well as the history, stories and meaning behind some of the most common native plant species found in the LEAF Learning Garden. Here are some highlights from the workshop: