September 24, 2021
Jess Wilkin
Fall is here but don’t pack away your garden hose just yet! Newly planted trees should be watered throughout the fall season up until the ground freezes. Fall watering supports root development in newly planted trees and helps evergreen trees combat the stress of winter conditions.
September 24, 2021
Brenna Anstett
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?
September 21, 2021
Adriana Rezai-S...
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.
September 14, 2021
Meandra Provencal
Tags: Urban Forest Champion
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!
September 07, 2021
Sarah Halonen
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:
August 27, 2021
Guest Blogger
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.
August 19, 2021
Sarah Halonen
Tags: stewardship
The first two years of a newly planted tree's life are crucial for its survival. That's why we hosted two volunteer stewardship events at recent naturalization planting sites in York Region this July. Our tree-rific team removed 54 bags of invasive plant species and mulched over 600 native trees and shrubs. In this blog, our new Stewardship Coordinator, Sarah Halonen, shares their first fieldwork experience!
August 17, 2021
Guest Blogger
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’ve been lucky to work with: Len Mirander. Len contributes a tremendous amount of time caring for his community, from protecting the trees provided by LEAF to tending to the community garden. Our TCH Stewardship Assistant, Ruiqi, had the pleasure of speaking with Len about his community work.
August 16, 2021
Adriana Rezai-S...
Providing your trees with regular water and nutrients is the key to ensuring they live long, healthy lives. Still, tree diseases can affect the aesthetics and health of your tree, and even have fatal consequences if left untreated.
August 09, 2021
Guest Blogger
Tags:
Walk past any of Toronto’s parks on a sunny day and you’ll notice, without fail, someone lounging under a tall majestic tree. It’s no secret that the best way to contend with the dog days of summer is by finding a nice, shady spot. But big cities like Toronto will likely experience more and more intense heat waves in the future. Is that same tree canopy the answer? Here’s how our urban forest is fighting to protect us from extreme heat.