The tour participants were welcomed by LEAF staff Jillaine and Emily who helped with the tour. My tour co-hosts, Kelly Mingram of York Region and Dallyn Cann of York Region Food Network, were also there to greet participants.
Ready to welcome our tour participants!
We started at the Newmarket Riverwalk Commons and then gradually weaved through the commercial and residential areas of the town until we finally arrived at the Newmarket Farmers market at the end of the tour.
My favorite moment #1: People taking the time to learn and understand the parts of a tree that can be used to identify and differentiate similar-looking species. This included looking at leaves, needles, fruits, bark and more!
Counting the number of needles in a bundle for identifying pine trees!
Learning to recognize the difference between the fruit (nut) of the black walnut and butternut. The nuts of the black walnut tree are rounder in shape than those of the butternut, which are more elongated.
My favorite moment #2: Participants and tour leaders sharing their own stories about how they use parts of trees for making food
Discussing flour made from acorns for baking!
Learning about the use of delicious serviceberries in making jellies and jams
My favorite moment #3: Discovering the rich history of Newmarket from local residents!
Admiring the beautiful historic homes along the tour through residential areas
Learning about a historic elm tree which used to mark a trading post location.
To learn more about the trees and spots highlighted along this tour, check out my recap of last year’s Edible Tree Tour.
We are grateful for the support of our partners from The Regional Municipality of York and York Region Food Network. Special thanks to our incredible volunteers; Carolyn, Glenn, Isaac, and Janice for all their help in making this event a success!
Photos of the Edible Tree Tour were taken by Isaac Lee
Tooba Shakeel is an ISA certified arborist and LEAF’s Education and Outreach