Blogs

A new homeowner passionate about environmental sustainability, Rema is working to mitigate the climate crisis right from her backyard in Ajax. Determined to turn a once treeless backyard into something beautiful and sustainable, this Urban Forest Champion is excited to watch her newly planted native trees grow, as her children do, and provide benefits locally and globally.

Garden Stewards are LEAF volunteers who help maintain our six Urban Forest Demonstration Gardens across the City of Toronto. Every year, LEAF organizes various skill-building workshops for these volunteers on topics related to native plants and sustainable gardening techniques. With the winter season fast approaching, it was the perfect time for a pruning workshop, where the stewards could try their hand at this new skill.

This fall, LEAF helped grow the urban forest in Durham Region by planting over 750 native trees and shrubs on public land. We partnered with the Township of Whitby to complete our first naturalization planting project in Whitby’s Rosedale Park. Our Naturalization Assistant, Elina Shahmirian, reflects on their planting experience.

Have you ever wondered which trees live in your neighbourhood? Is there a tree that you walk past every day and wish you knew what its name was? We hosted a virtual tree tour that explored some of the common and unique tree species that live in Richmond Hill. Here we highlight some of our favourite species and easy tree ID tips.