Exploring Southern Ontario’s Native Trees, Whenever You Please!

 

Lake Wilcox Park is located on the eastern shorelines of Lake Wilcox, the largest lake on the Oak Ridges Moraine. The park is home to a variety of wildlife and plants. It’s also a great place for the community to participate in fun activities, including a newly launched self-guided tree tour!

In partnership with the Town of Richmond Hill and with funding from TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, we developed a self-guided tour of the native tree species found in Lake Wilcox Park. It’s the perfect way to work on your tree identification skills at any time of year. The tour includes 20 species, all of which are native to southern Ontario.

 

 

 

 

 

On Tuesday, September 25th, during National Forest Week, experts from LEAF and the Town of Richmond Hill led a guided tour, highlighting a selection of the native trees in the park.  Discussion centred on the benefits of trees and the challenges they face within an urban environment. Twenty hearty locals braved the dreary weather to learn from urban forestry and water quality experts about the unique features of Lake Wilcox Park.  It was fascinating to learn about the mature trees that pre-date the park, like the sugar maples that lined the driveway to the farm that once stood there, majestic white pines and a cluster of massive red oaks.