Blogs

Trees and shrubs provide us with many amazing benefits, such as privacy, food and habitat for wildlife and increased property value. But did you know that a strategically planted tree or shrub can also help you conserve energy, reduce your heating and cooling costs and fight climate change by reducing atmospheric carbon?

One of the major issues facing urbanized areas today is an abundance of stormwater runoff flowing into waterways. Buildings, roads and compacted urban soils create hard surfaces generating a greater amount of runoff than on undisturbed or undeveloped surfaces. As a result, urban infrastructure can become overwhelmed during storm events with high volumes of precipitation, leading to increased flooding, soil erosion and pollutants in our waterways. 

A passionate gardener and bird feeder from Georgina, Lynn Slaney is working to create a landscape that can be enjoyed by her and her family, as well as local wildlife. From oak and elm to cedar and chokeberry, this Urban Forest Champion has planted all sorts of native trees, shrubs and perennials that provide important food and shelter for local birds, bunnies and more!

Have you ever wondered how plants get their names? On a sunny Saturday morning, our Stewardship Coordinator met with a group of garden stewards at the LEAF Learning Garden for a look into the facts and folklore behind plant names. The group explored the use of scientific vs common names, how plant names can lend clues to their identification, as well as the history, stories and meaning behind some of the most common native plant species found in the LEAF Learning Garden. Here are some highlights from the workshop:

This year, we are working with Toronto Community Housing (TCH) tenants to green their communities with almost 100 trees and over 200 shrubs. Meet one of the TCH tenants we have been lucky to work with: Annisha Stewart. Annisha is on a mission to green her community! She’s participated in multiple LEAF programs over the past two years, including the Tree Tenders training course this spring. Our TCH Stewardship Assistant, Nuradin, had the opportunity to interview Annisha about her experience with LEAF and the work she does for her community.