One of the most rewarding things about joining LEAF was getting to know my colleagues, a group of passionate individuals dedicated to growing the urban forest for our benefit and that of future generations! Keep reading to learn how our residential planting programs team adds new trees and shrubs to hundreds of yards across the GTA every year.
Brenna Anstett
Residential Planting Programs Manager
Did you know that you can use four S’s to identify spruce trees from other evergreens? If your answer is no, don’t worry - meet Brenna! She is our Residential Planting Programs Manager, her ISA arborist certification and over seven years of experience at LEAF make her our go-to tree expert! As Manager, she oversees all of the residential planting programs. This includes everything from developing our annual planting program and its long-term strategic direction to mentoring the team, training new staff and connecting with municipal partners! Not only is Brenna a certified arborist, she also attended the University of Guelph and graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Environmental Governance. One of her favourite parts of her role is working with LEAF clients and helping them enjoy all the benefits that growing the urban forest provides from shade and privacy to energy savings and pollution reduction!
Jess Wilkin
Residential Planting Programs Operations Coordinator
Jess is the team’s coordination wizard! She coordinates our planting program from start to finish, doing everything from answering general program inquires to ensuring customers receive their trees. Jess holds a Bachelors of Arts in Tourism and Environmental Studies and a Masters of Forest Conservation. Her interest in nature-based tourism made her ask herself why we only enjoy nature on vacation, when we could enjoy it in our day-to-day lives, too. This is one of the reasons she is motivated about growing the urban forest along with making sure future generations can enjoy it the same way we do. Jess’s passion and her education make her a crucial part of the team and she is excited to help all of our clients on their tree planting journey!
Adriana Rezal-Stevens
Residential Planting Programs Field Coordinator
Meet Adriana, our Residential Planting Programs Field Coordinator! During our planting season, spotting Adriana in the office is rare. Instead, you’ll find her using her ISA arborist certification out in the field, meeting with property owners to help them select the right trees and leading our planting teams. Adriana graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Science with a major in Environmental Biology and a Master of Forest Conservation. Adriana believes that everyone should have access to nature no matter where they live, and it is this belief that drives her to help grow the urban forest. She loves helping clients turn their backyards into little mini oases full of native trees and shrubs!
Now that you have learned a little bit about our residential planting programs team find out how they can help you plant in your yard! We accept applicants year-round.
Mikyala Richards was the Marketing Assistant at LEAF.
LEAF offers a subsidized Backyard Tree Planting Program for private property. The program is supported by the City of Toronto, the Regional Municipality of York, the City of Markham, the Town of Newmarket, the Regional Municipality of Durham, the Town of Ajax, the City of Oshawa, the City of Pickering, the Township of Scugog, the Town of Whitby, Ontario Power Generation, Ontario Trillium Foundation and GrandTrees/Canadian Trees For Life.