It’s crazy to think that The Great Toronto Tree Hunt has finally wrapped up. I started working at LEAF in late April, and every day since then I have been working on Tree Hunt-related tasks from prepping social media posts, to event planning, to making posters…you name it. Since the awards ceremony, which was held on June 24, I have had a void in my daily to-do list…no more Tree Hunt tasks! So I thought that I’d have one last hurrah and give an honourable mention to some of my favourite nominations.
Let me first start off by saying, I had a great amount of fun reading through all 390 entries (that was another one of my daily Tree Hunt to-do’s). There were so many amazing entries -- ones that made me laugh, and ones that made me reflect. There were trees planted in people’s honour, and trees that remind us of lost loved ones. In reading all the entries, I came to see just how important trees are to the people of Toronto. Trees are so much more than organic objects; they represent a lot of different things to different people.
So here are some of my favourites (“some” being the operative word, since I have so many favourites, but had to keep them limited in context of this blog) that I would like to give an honourable mention to.
Nomination Category: Uniqueness
Circuitous Sumac submitted by Lisa B
We moved into our home 13 years ago, newly married with one small baby. A small sumac sat in the front garden. As our family grew, so did the Sumac. My husband tends to his garden with love and devotion. He has ensured that this tree received the special care and attention it deserves. Over the years, whether working in the garden or peeking out of our window, we catch glimpses of people that stop and stare. We overhear conversations about this unique, special tree regularly. As well, we engage in conversations with with newcomers to the neighbourhood and guests to our home. How lucky we are to have this unique tree thrive over the years right before our eyes!
Nomination Category: Survivor
Trial by Fire submitted by Linda J Malloy
During the controlled burn in High Park this spring, this Austrian Pine caught fire. It had recently been pruned and the weeping sap burned. It was quickly extinguished and seems unharmed.
Nomination Category: Beauty
Beauty and the Beast submitted by Petermy1
The Sakura trees in High Park may get more attention than the 70 or so planted next to Robarts Library on the University of Toronto’s St. George campus, but this stand of ornamental cherries (courtesy of the Sakura Project in 1995) always draws a crowd in the spring. Planted to symbolize the growing friendship between Canada and Japan, the profusion of blooms in early May is intoxicating – both in beauty and fragrance – and when you can succeed in getting students to look up from their phones to take notice for even a brief moment, you know there’s something worth seeing (and smelling). Standing in such close proximity to the comparatively dull and imposing concrete library that dominates the corner, this planting reminds us that there can be real beauty even in the concrete jungle we call home.
Nomination Category: Heritage Potential
Life on University submitted by L. Jay
Nothing cheers up patients sitting outside the hospitals on University more than the beautiful trees which line the middle of the avenue. This particular tree (the best of the bunch), with its flourishing branches and leaves, growing outward in perfect form from a well-balanced trunk, is a reminder of the life that flows through all those that work for the UHN (all hospitals surrounding the tree) and the patients they help. This tree should be a heritage tree for the commitment of Torontonians to "life" - to showcase the life of all the wonderful trees in our city, as a symbol of lives of our citizens and the UHN, a major contributor to our quality of life and our local economy.
Nomination Category: Uniqueness
Hobbit Tree submitted by Petra Smith
Every time I go for a walk in Kew Park with my grandchildren, we have to check on our "hobbit" tree. Sometimes there is a miniature garden planted , sometimes there is a tiny blue box set out for recycling pick up, sometimes there is a path bordered by pebbles --but always there is something new to stir our imaginations and open possibilities for stories!
Nomination Category: Size
Grand Old Catalpa submitted by Eva Swenson
I am guessing that this catalpa is one of the oldest trees in the neighbourhood. It is quite impressive.
Nomination Category: Beauty
Enchanted Forest submitted by carballo
Yesterday while waiting for the bus at Dufferin Grove, I found this shady tree and couldn't ignore the beauty of it. The picture looks like there is endless green trees. It doesn't look like we are in the city. It looks like we are in another world, very dreamy and beautiful :)
The nominations can still be viewed on our website until mid-August so if you haven’t had the chance to view all the remarkable submissions we received, I recommend you take a look at them today!
The Great Toronto Tree Hunt is supported by TD Friends of the Environment Foundation along with Ontario Power Generation and City of Toronto.
Jaclyn Corneil is LEAF’s Stewardship & Education Assistant.