Backyard Tree Planting Program

Do you look out your window and notice green grass yards as far as the eye can see? The potential for transformation is endless, particularly if you live in a new development. Former LEAF Planter turned Residential Planting Programs Assistant, Amba, shares her first-hand experience of planting in new developments and explores the immense power it can have on returning beauty and nature back to newly built communities.

Did you know that planting a tree has many benefits, one of which is reducing temperatures in urban areas? Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect is having an increasingly significant impact on the temperature in urban areas. One of the best ways to help mitigate these impacts is by growing our urban forest! Read on to learn what UHI is and how you can help build a greener, more resilient community!

Trees need space to grow into maturity so that we can enjoy their benefits. However, the urban environment presents frequent obstacles for a growing tree. Find out how LEAF’s spacing requirements for backyard tree planting ensure that the trees we plant not only survive but thrive in harmony with their surrounding landscape long-term!

Climate change predictions for York Region forecast a future with more rainfall, which will stress our existing stormwater management networks and put homes and properties at risk of flood damage. A partnership between the Town of Newmarket, the Regional Municipality of York and LEAF aims to reduce stormwater runoff by helping Newmarket property owners plant trees for less.

If you were to map the distribution of canopy coverage across Toronto’s neighbourhoods, you would find that it is not at all random. Some neighbourhoods have a disproportionately lower canopy cover than others. Why is this the case?