As a millennial, growing up in an age where the internet was exploding, being online was a gateway down a rabbit hole of endless entertainment and knowledge. With a few key strokes and a click, the world would be at my palm, with the freedom to indulge in cat videos, stay updated on the news and learn everything my heart desired. The year 2020 threw online learning into overdrive as we all sought ways to engage during our free time while practicing physical distancing.
Recognizing this, LEAF moved many of its educational programs online, including our tree tours. For our virtual tree tour of Lake Wilcox Park, we wanted to connect with the local community in a fun and safe way, maximizing what event participants take away from this brand new way of engaging with the urban forest. We couldn’t gather at the park physically, but we could still enjoy it virtually!
We invited Aileen Barclay, Forest Education Specialist and avid nature photographer, to be the tour leader. She shared her knowledge and expertise, developed over two decades working in the field of ecology, through a comprehensive presentation, filled with tree facts, history of the area and her own beautiful photographs. Attendees learned how to spot and identify trees found in the park or even in their neighbourhoods, the role that trees play in supporting us and other wildlife and what each person can do to enhance biodiversity in their own community. If you weren’t one of the 90 people who tuned in live, you can watch the tour on YouTube (link below)!
Turning the Lake Wilcox Park Tree Tour into a virtual event made it highly accessible. The first and obvious reason was that this was a safe way to engage with people under COVID-19 restrictions, as everyone was able to participate from home. The free event, hosted on Zoom, also minimized any financial barriers to learning and engaging with others online. The platform allowed people to tune in without having to physically be at Lake Wilcox Park. A final bonus to online events, particularly ones that are recorded and shared as this one was, is that they can be enjoyed or re-watched anywhere, anytime.
The virtual tree tour was not just an opportunity to give a shout out to our leafy neighbours, but to inspire people to get outdoors and learn more about the urban forest!
Watch the recording of the Lake Wilcox Park Tree Tour by visiting LEAF’s YouTube channel.
If you live near the park, download our printable self-guided tree tour, available through the City of Richmond Hill. The trees marked on the map have small identification tags to help you find them!
Lam Tran is the Education Coordinator at LEAF.
This event was supported by the City of Richmond Hill, Ontario Power Generation and GrandTrees Climate Solutions.