March 01, 2013
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This time around I decided to make a hemlock tea from the needles of Eastern or Canadian hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). Our native hemlocks are pretty impressive – they can live up to 600 years or longer - some may even reach 1000. As evergreen trees, they provide greenery all year round as well as dense cover and food for our urban wildlife. My first edible introduction to hemlocks was being asked to chew its needles and to describe its taste. “Christmas!” I proclaimed, while others said “winter” and “minty.”
February 28, 2013
Matthew Higginson
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Our necks are cranked up toward the sky. Thirty-two feet overhead, Ryan Kuz reaches out from his small white bucket and calmly brings a chainsaw down on a branch, cutting through until it snaps and gracefully swings away. Caught by the rope he’s secured around it, the massive branch is slowly lowered to the ground where we’re standing. I help the crew from Fairchild TV shimmy out of the way, careful not to slip on the icy interlocking brick of the alley.
February 27, 2013
Matthew Higginson
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We want to see the urban forest for the trees! And we want to see them through your eyes. So we’re launching a series to highlight our favourite photos. Each month we will choose one, but the goal is that they are all provided by you! So get out your cameras and snap emblematic shots that speak to what it feels like in our streets, parks and alley ways.
February 14, 2013
Sharmeen Shahidullah
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Today is the day we celebrate our loved ones, indulge in heart shaped candies and exchange X’s & O’s. But last week I came across these letters from children to their favourite trees! Aren’t they adorable? Call me a tree hugger if you must, but as you exchange notes of all kinds I encourage you to write one too for the loveliest tree you know...
February 14, 2013
Michelle Bourdeau
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True love comes in trees, so in honour of Valentine’s day, I bring you a love story. This edition of the series comes hot on the heels of the last - but the timing was right and we couldn't resist. Enjoy!
February 13, 2013
Estela Thomson
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By now you are well aware of the fate of our ash trees. Since 2002 the Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive insect imported from Asia has killed millions of ash trees in Southern Ontario and Michigan. Nearly all of Toronto’s ash, an estimated 860,000, will be gone by 2017. A few local artists are realizing the opportunity to create whimsical pieces out of the chaos and put them on display for the public.
February 12, 2013
Michelle Bourdeau
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Hope. In the cold of early February, as we dust off the remains of Snowmageddon II (aka Nemo), it is something we certainly all could use. Hope is when we let imagination turn snowflakes into white spring petals.
February 07, 2013
Andrea Bake
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Long ago, English settlers planted a “new” tree species, English walnut, to ensure a supply of their favourite nuts. It seems we’ll never learn from past species introductions that turned into aggressive invasives (i.e. the ever increasing European Starling population at the time – introduced so North America could have all the bird species mentioned in Shakespeare’s works - going from 60 starlings to 150 million invasive pests).
February 06, 2013
Andrea Bake
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At the beginning of each year, a chunk of our population makes a resolution or two for the New Year. The most common? Work out harder, more frequently, or at all. But it isn’t just our bodies that need a bootcamp: the trees on your property need to be kept in shape as well! Pruning a younger tree is essential to ensure it grows up to be structurally strong and able to live a long and healthy life. Here are some points to remember if you want your tree to have a healthy 2013:
February 06, 2013
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The more I learn about edible trees and plants, the more I want to try them out. When temperatures started to drop, I thought it was the perfect time to try some of our common native trees for my favourite cold weather drink – tea! After a brisk, cold day of working outdoors, I think nothing saves the day more than a mug of hot, delicious tea. This fall and winter, I set aside my fancy, store-bought tea collection to try sumac.