Blogs

Shehmeen Bhatia has recently joined the LEAF Board of Directors. In this blog, our Executive Director, Janet McKay, interviews Shehmeen about her experience and her motivation for becoming a LEAF Board member.

Did you know that one of our most powerful healthcare tools is growing right outside? Beyond providing shade, privacy and fresh air, trees offer other, far-reaching benefits, improving our physical and mental health and bringing people together. Healthy tree canopies make for healthier communities, and there is evidence spanning every aspect of our lives to prove it. Read on to find out more!

Imagine walking through your community and recognizing the trees around you as living neighbours — knowing their names, their stories, their significance. For many participants of LEAF’s Young Urban Forest Leaders (YUFL) Program, this is exactly what happens. Through hands-on learning, mentorship and community engagement, youth gain the knowledge and confidence to better understand, care for and connect with the urban forest around them. As LEAF celebrates 30 years of community-driven urban forestry, we are reflecting on the people who are becoming its next generation of stewards.

When a branch snaps, a tree doesn’t heal the way we do. Instead, it adapts. Read on to learn about the remarkably effective, long-term strategy that trees use to deal with injuries, and why proper pruning can make or break it.