Alex’s Story:
One of the best perks of being a Naturalization Assistant? It's definitely travelling around the GTA, connecting with all sorts of awesome communities. Every LEAF Community Planting Event is a chance to meet a whole new group, each with their own unique story and reason for getting their hands dirty.
One moment that really stuck with me was when I was giving a planting demo and got to chat one-on-one with someone who had travelled quite a distance to attend. They got to the event late and ran out of time to plant a tree themselves that day. But despite that, they were still absolutely buzzing with excitement to take what they'd learned and apply those planting techniques in their own garden at home! That kind of passion is what makes this job so rewarding.
Kikeyah’s Story:
One of the standout moments for me this planting season happened at our community planting in Whitby, which was our second planting event of the season. On this day, we connected with many lovely local community members and families who chose to spend their afternoon planting with us.
The best part of the day for me was seeing the young children, many of whom had never planted before, build new relationships with the plants and the land. The level of joy, care and wonder radiating from them was powerful and contagious and left a lasting impression on me.
Jordyn’s Story:
On one of the planting days, I decided to sit and spend time individually with a Red Osier Dogwood plant. The most significant aspect of my job was further developing a deeper sense of relationality with plant life, learning about and tending to their needs and individual traits.
On that specific planting day, I closely observed the Red Osier Dogwood. I admired her orange-red stem and the natural gradient and flow of colour. I looked at the white spots along her stem and felt her somewhat fuzzy leaves. From that day forward, recognizing her came more easily, and my relationship with these babies continued to grow with each encounter.
Lauren’s Story:
At our first Carrville Park planting event, a little boy came up to me and asked for help planting a spruce. He was very concerned about planting the tree correctly and wanted me to explain to him each step of the process as he followed my instructions diligently.
Once he was satisfied with his work, I asked him if he knew what the tree would grow into. He shook his head, and I pointed at the huge spruce next to us. The look on his face was priceless – his jaw dropped and he just stared at the old tree before running off to plant another. Moments like that are what makes this job so rewarding. Seeing change in both the environment and the people helping to restore it is something really special.
Thank you to Alex, Kikeyah, Jordyn and Lauren for all the hard work they put in this spring and for sharing these wonderful stories. Their passion and dedication bring new life to our urban forests and inspire me and everyone involved in this work. It’s been a privilege to watch them grow alongside the people, plants and communities they serve.
If these stories inspired you to get involved with LEAF, there are many ways to join. You can volunteer with us and help nurture urban forests in your community. If you’re interested in gaining hands-on experience like our Naturalization Assistants, check out our current employment opportunities. And don’t forget to explore our upcoming events where you can connect with nature and your neighbours while helping to grow a greener future.
Sarah Halonen is the Senior Stewardship Coordinator at LEAF.
Planting and stewardship events for spring 2025 were supported by the Regional Municipality of York, the City of Richmond Hill and the Town of Whitby.