Blogs

Every year, groups of LEAF volunteers tend to six Urban Forest Demonstration Gardens throughout Toronto. These gardens provide an example of the beauty and importance of establishing native plant species in urban areas. One of the benefits of planting these species is that they foster local pollinators, including native bees and butterflies. And, this summer, we were blown away by the number of pollinators we saw at our gardens!

The Junior Urban Forest Rangers (JUFR) program is more than just a fun day with LEAF for visiting day-campers. 2019 JUFR leader, Darya, explains how participating in this two-hour workshop helps children connect to the nature all around us.

Did you know that LEAF uses an assessment tool called Neighbourwoods© to conduct annual tree health assessments on a number of Toronto’s street trees? This year, we conducted assessments on 513 trees, in support of the Adopt-A-Street-Tree program. Learn more about this Toronto-developed assessment tool, and how we use it to advance our stewardship work in the urban forest.

The fall season is here - a time of year where it is very common for homeowners to rake up those colourful autumn leaves after they have fallen. But did you know that leaving fallen leaves in garden beds and around trees, shrubs and other plants over the winter can actually yield many benefits?

Fall marks a time of many magical changes. Trees that were once lush green transform into brilliant shades of yellows, golds, oranges and reds, creating an extraordinary spectacle. But, have you ever wondered why some leaves turn yellow while others lend themselves to bright reds? The mixture of the vibrant fall colours we see is actually a result of complex chemical processes that take place inside the tree as the season changes from summer to winter.