January 27, 2014
Andrea Bake
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The trembling aspen would make an interesting Shakespearean character. There are not many trees in the world you can find with your ears, that can live on for centuries or that make imperceptible connections underground. The tinkling of leaves, like a soft wind chime, can be heard from east to west, one of those familiar pieces of natural Canadiana. Often mistaken for birch, the trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) stands apart from its lighter-barked friends in a few key ways.
January 14, 2014
Robyn Stewart
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We’re excited to be curating an exhibit for the Toronto Design Offsite Festival (TO DO) next week. TO DO is an independent design festival that promotes Canada’s creativity, drawing on great thinkers, practitioners and educators in an innovative celebration of art and design. We’ll be showing the first pieces made from the iconic Maple Leaf Forever Tree, which fell last summer in a storm.
January 09, 2014
Victoria Badham
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Every individual who contributes to LEAF’s efforts is irreplaceable. We could not achieve our goals without the help of our dedicated volunteers. Each year, certain individuals exceed our expectations and go above and beyond in their commitment to the urban forest. They are leaders within their community and mentors to other volunteers. We would like to congratulate Rita and Tim – our Volunteers of the Year for 2013!
January 09, 2014
Janet McKay
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The past year was inarguably a stormy one for Torontonians. In addition to the unprecedented maelstrom at City Hall, July’s #FloodTO dumped an estimated 61 billion litres of rain into the city’s streets, subways, yards and basements, just in time for rush hour. In December, #IceStormTO capped the city with an eerie, icy coating that downed an estimated 20 per cent of the urban forest canopy and left more than half a million Ontarians in the dark during the busy holiday season.
December 09, 2013
Jane Clark
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My fellow volunteers and I had been rushing to track down neighbourhood ash trees this summer to save them from the deadly emerald ash borer. Now the question was: What to do once we find them? August had arrived, and the EAB treatment deadline at the end of the month was looming.
December 09, 2013
Janet McKay
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On Friday November 29, we held the LEAF Best Forest Friends (or BFF for short) Social event – an opportunity to show our appreciation to our supporters and volunteers, each of whom is an urban forest champions in their own right! Approximately 200 dedicated tree-lovers from across the GTA filed into the CSI Annex. We raised a glass and got lost in many great conversations.
December 09, 2013
Andrea Bake
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Out of all the species we offer in our Backyard Tree Planting Program, I get the most calls about the Kentucky coffeetree. The greatest number of them involves concerns that the tree 1) was dead when planted, 2) has died over the winter, or 3) has full branches dropping off of it in the fall. Fortunately for me (and our homeowners!) these concerns are rarely warranted. And in fact, the majority of these can be explained by looking at the tree’s Latin name: Gymnocladus dioicus.
December 09, 2013
Robyn Stewart
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I’ve spent a lot of time coordinating and leading tree tours this year – it is part of my job here at LEAF, after all. But recently, I had the opportunity to attend a tree tour as a participant. And I learned a lot! The Ontario Urban Forest Council’s conference included a tree tour through Mount Pleasant Cemetery and Moore Park Ravine.
November 21, 2013
Victoria Badham
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This year marks 50 years of conservation, action and advocacy for the Ontario Urban Forest Council (OUFC). To celebrate, they organized a weekend of events dedicated to educating and inspiring those who care for the urban forest. The three-day festival included a gala, a tree tour of the Moore Ravine, and a full day seminar delivered by Dr. McKenzie-Mohr – an environmental psychologist and leader in promoting sustainable behaviour.
November 21, 2013
Victoria Badham
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If you look closely, you can find nature in the unlikeliest of places. That slice of green poking through the crack of a sidewalk? It’s not just a weed; it’s a reminder that Mother Nature is always lurking, waiting for the opportunity to spring up in seemingly inhospitable locations.