This summer the City of Toronto has planted several hundred new trees as a part of the remake of Bloor Street from Christie to Lansdowne. If the trees survive, they have the potential to be the single greatest streetscaping initiative ever undertaken along this stretch of Bloor.
The previous trees were planted in tiny above-ground planter boxes. Limited soil volume combined with the stress of the city environment led to many sick, under-sized and short-lived trees. This time things are different. The City’s Urban Forestry Department has implemented a new planting technology, the continuous soil trench, which lets tree roots spread below the sidewalk free of soil compaction. Hopefully this will give our new trees increased odds of survival and lead to a larger, healthier and longer-lasting tree canopy along Bloor Street.
As a local resident and member of the Bloordale Community Improvement Association, I enrolled in the LEAF Tree Tenders Training Program at the Bain Co-op Apartments complex in Riverdale back in June to ensure I had the knowledge necessary to assist the City in maintaining these new trees.
Our association decided to adopt the stretch of Bloor from Lansdowne to Dufferin. I created a shareable, open source map of tree types and locations using Google maps and we set about signing up volunteers to adopt-a-tree near their home. With the help of local businesswoman Liza Lukashevsky (owner of the Nuthouse on Bloor), we added a layer of businesses that would allow us to fill watering buckets at their shops to assist in caring for the trees and the location of a free mulch pile near Foodshare, a local non-profit community organization
Between residents and businesses that have agreed to look after the trees near their homes and shops, we already have tenders for roughly half of the new trees planted along that stretch and we look forward to increasing that number in the coming months.
I encourage anyone interested in improving their local tree canopy to start by taking the LEAF Tree Tenders Training Program. This is a wonderful course full of detailed and helpful information on common stresses faced by city trees and the dos and don'ts of tree care, among many other useful insights. Then, get outside, get dirty and start looking after some trees near you!
Dan Milford-Warren is a husband, father and community activist in the west Toronto neighbourhood of Bloordale. As a volunteer for LEAF and as a member of the Bloordale Community Improvement Association, the Westend Flower Fairies and Ward 18 Cycle Toronto, he is working to improve his neighbourhood and the City of Toronto. Follow him on Twitter @DMilfordWarren or send feedback to Daniel.milfordwarren[at]gmail.com
LEAF’s Tree Tenders Training Program is supported by Ontario Power Generation and York Region. Our next session begins on September 11th, 2014 at Toronto Botanical Garden. Learn more and register here.