December 06, 2012
Sarah Berneche
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With the holiday season rapidly approaching, you may find yourself weighing your Christmas tree options. While many households are interested in doing their part to protect the environment, which tree option is the greenest? Here’s the good news: there are plenty of ways to green your holiday season regardless of whether you opt for a fresh or artificial tree (or something completely outside of the box!) Below are a few pros and cons to consider when selecting your tree.
November 22, 2012
Sarah Melamed
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As I finish up my graduate studies, one thing has become clear: nothing in conservation happens without buy-in and support from everyone. Conservation is just too big and complicated for an elite team of professionals to make all of the calls on their own. No matter how much good research exists, it can’t be completely effective unless it takes to heart what is relevant and important to all of us.
November 19, 2012
Amanda Gomm
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For the past three and a half years, LEAF has been my extended family. When I was first hired as Volunteer Coordinator in 2009, the committed group of volunteers and Tree Tenders welcomed me with open arms. I’ve never felt more accepted into a community. But like a tree, I have grown and the time has come to put out new branches.
November 16, 2012
Michelle Bourdeau
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About a month ago, we sent out an open call for stories from past participants of LEAF’s Backyard Tree Planting Program – and we got some pretty great ones! As a result, we’ve been inspired to share them through a new, regular blog series… Lifestyles of the Green and Leafy.
November 14, 2012
Al Yoshiki
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With a week of high winds and rain - the lingering effects of Hurricane Sandy – we are all waiting on Jessica to see if the seasonal clean up of the St. Clair Urban Forest Demonstration Garden is a no-go. But as the clock rolls around, the email arrives and we, the stewards of the garden, are ready for the last hurrah of a very hot and dry season.
November 07, 2012
Jennifer Gagné
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Tree identification is a cool skill to have even for the fun of it. Like pointing out the constellations, it can be a great way to impress your friends. But even more than that, being able to tell the difference between a black walnut and a green ash can give you a greater appreciation for the urban forest - and how to properly manage it.
November 05, 2012
Jessica Piskorowski
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Nature can be an excellent teacher if you take the chance to learn from its various characters. In their own way, our Urban Forest Demonstration Gardens have instilled little bits of wisdom into everyone who has been touched by them. LEAF stewards and volunteers have been busy preparing our gardens for the looming cold (especially with the first snowflakes flying last week!)
November 02, 2012
Amanda Gomm
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Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a very special event in my own west end community. I’ve lived here for years and began admiring a certain silver maple when I first moved into this community in 2002. It’s just south of Roncesvalles and Westminster. You can’t miss it; it will stop you in your tracks, and is enough to make anyone look up.
October 29, 2012
Jessica Piskorowski
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This summer I took the ultimate train trip out West on board VIA Rail’s The Canadian. After stops in Jasper & Vancouver, we made the international jump and continued travelling down the coast to Seattle. A mix of wild, rural, and urban scenery offered a whole new roster of tree species to admire and thoughts on trees and landscapes.
October 23, 2012
Michelle Bourdeau
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A week ago, I was doing routine work at LEAF making sure our information was correct on websites outside of our own. One on my list was OPGBiodiversity, where I spent time catching up on what old friends are doing. The site highlights all of the organizations that currently receive funding from the program, and what they are doing to increase biodiversity across Ontario.