Blogs

Colleen Cirillo has recently joined the LEAF Board of Directors. In this blog, our Executive Director, Janet McKay interviews Colleen about her experience and her interest in LEAF.

LEAF and the Toronto Wildlife Centre (TWC) are joining forces to raise awareness on the connection between urban wildlife and the urban forest. Supported by Ontario Power Generation, the Backyard Biodiversity campaign has returned for 2019! And, this year, we are challenging Toronto residents to share what they’re doing to improve our #BackyardBiodiversity.

On April 27, 2019 the sky was overcast, the wind was relentless and the temperature was cold enough to require multiple layers of clothing to step outside! It did not seem like a good day to plant trees. Yet, in spite of the inclement weather, the Richmond Hill community came out to plant native trees and shrubs in Meander Park. In fact, this planting event was among our most popular – with roughly 200 participants and 400 trees and shrubs planted!

We all know that trees produce oxygen and clean our air. But they do so much more! Residents of communities with increased tree coverage enjoy a multitude of health, social and economic benefits. So, how can we increase our tree canopy in order to enjoy these benefits? A neighbourhood’s canopy extends well beyond the trees lining the streets and growing in parks. Though sometimes overlooked, residential backyards hold great potential for growing our urban forest! Backyard trees add privacy, increase property value and help homeowners cut down on energy costs.