Blogs

I first blogged about Bayview Buckets in December of last year. Back then it was just an idea: persuade merchants along the four-block commercial strip in my neighbourhood to take ownership of the street trees growing out front. We would encourage them to “adopt” the tree by agreeing to water it from May to September.

Last February I had the pleasure of traveling to Barcelona, Fés and Rome on an intense adventure. While most tourists were mesmerized by the ancient buildings, local bars and cafes, I was more interested in the trees. Growing up in Canada I don’t often think about an urban world without large parks, wild ravines and backyards or green spaces around apartment’s complexes where kids can play, but while in Barcelona I was reminded that this is not true for everyone.

We arrive in Chicago by plane, excited to touch down in a place that is as well known for its open lakeshore as it is for its historic architecture. The city wears history on its sleeve; the windy home Kanye West and Al Capone; the site of Harrison Ford’s green river chase and Matthew Broderick's teen-angst parade. But all stories aside, Natalie and I are about to discover it for ourselves.

The heavy afternoon rain offered our urban forest a brief reprieve from the drought we’ve sweltered in this summer – which is good news for the pears, plums, apricots, and apples that are coming into season. We often talk about the urban forest for its benefits – cleaner air, cooler streets, safer communities…. But did you know Toronto is also an urban food basket?