Blogs

The urban forest is made up of more than just the trees in our cities. Urban wildlife also share it with us. Some wildlife migrate south for the winter or go into hibernation throughout the cold season, but many birds and mammals do not. The best way to help those which overwinter here is to create and maintain a healthy, thriving and diverse urban forest with enough options for winter habitat. Here are six native species for winter Backyard Biodiversity.

In the past, I felt myself dreading the holidays or my friends’ birthdays. Though these are all joyous occasions, the pressure of finding the perfect gift is not so fun. But, there’s a better option! How can you give meaningful, environmentally-friendly and socially-responsible gifts without any of the hassle? By donating!

For Sintra, beautifying her yard is a family affair. Her daughter pointed her towards the LEAF service which resulted in her having a paper birch and American elm spring planted by LEAF in spring 2019. Plus, her grandchildren helped out with the fall planting of shrubs. Her Markham property now has a pagoda dogwood shrub, common snowberries and red osier dogwoods. Our Program Manager, Kim De Lallo, interviews Sintra about her enthusiasm for sharing the beauty of nature across the generations.

Environmental teacher, Ben Freeman, from TDChristian High School speaks on his experience using LEAF services for a very special project at this Woodbridge school.

Robert Christopher first planted a Freeman maple with LEAF in spring 2012. He was inspired again to add another fine-looking Freeman maple to his Toronto property in fall 2013. He added more beauty and biodiversity to his yard in spring and fall 2018 with three pagoda dogwoods and an Eastern white cedar. Because he takes excellent care of his trees and shrubs, you can see from the photos, things are thriving in his yard. Our Program Manager, Kim De Lallo, interviews Robert about his recurring support for LEAF.