I’ve since reflected on the concept and importance of the urban forest throughout my time in backyards planting trees. For those of you who haven’t spent a day in our boots, planting can be such a rewarding experience. Let me walk you through a typical day in the field with LEAF:
At 7:30 am we meet in the parking lot of the car rental location, bundled up and barely awake. Coffee will soon become my new best friend. I climb into the 16-foot cube truck, ready to start my day. This planting season has added a lot of “firsts” to the list of things to do in my life. First time driving in Toronto? Check. First time driving a huge truck? Check. First time fitting a huge truck down a tiny residential street and still managing to park it legally? Check! Surprisingly, I made it out alive and so did everything else I encountered!
We load up our truck with planting equipment and head out to pick up our plant stock for the day. Like every other morning, we listen to Stu
Jeffries’ $1000 minute contest on Boom 97.3 as the dazzling sunrays dance along
the lakeshore. Despite our attempts to beat the radio contestants each day, we never win.
By 8:30 am, we arrive at the yard. It was here that my first planting season began
with Andrea, our former Field Operations Supervisor and my field mentor. When I
first started working with LEAF, she taught me so much about the urban forest,
including species identification, tree health and proper tree maintenance.
But most importantly, she helped me improve my confidence in the field.
We carefully load up all the trees and shrubs we need for the day, some of
which include a beautiful tulip tree, a towering paper birch and a hardy
highbush cranberry. Before we leave, we make sure we have enough mulch for everything
we need to plant and deliver. Mulch
is such an important aspect of tree planting- it maintains moisture levels in
the soil, it minimizes weed germination, it provides nutrients for the tree
when it breaks down and it creates an
attractive appearance!
By 10:00 am, we arrive at the location of the first tree. As I spear my shovel
into the ground and dig a generous hole for the tree, a feeling of happiness
comes over me. When tree planting in rural
areas back home, I found myself in a state of calm and peace with the natural
environment. Here, in the city, I began feeling a sense of accomplishment, knowing that I am helping to improve the quality of life for all urbanites. It reminds me of the difference one tree can make to the big picture – we are planting a forest.
By noon, it’s time to eat lunch. Yes! Oh, and a bathroom break - finally! Every
day I question why I drink so much coffee in the morning, and then I remember… we
start at 7:30 am! After lunch we are back out in the field planting trees like
it’s our job. Oh wait, it is!
After long hours of heavy lifting, shovelling and planting, we return the rental truck and collapse from exhaustion. Just kidding! In all seriousness, it is hard work - not to mention the mental exhaustion of driving (and parking) in Toronto! But it is worth it in the end when you think about the people we are helping, the urban naturalization process and the larger aims of climate change mitigation! A truly unbeLEAFable experience.
For more information on how you can have a tree or shrub planted in your
backyard, check out LEAF’s Residential
Planting Programs!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-plkiO3tCqM
Brenna is the Residential Planting Programs Coordinator at LEAF. The Backyard Tree Planting Program is supported by Ontario Power Generation, York Region, Ontario Trillium Foundation, The City of Markham and Toronto Hydro.
