Growing up on a farm, Len understood the value of trees and the importance of the natural environment from a young age. Seeing the loss of mature trees in his Toronto neighbourhood over the past years has strengthened his awareness of the important role of stewardship. He explained, “While living [here] for 17 years, I started planting flowers to beautify the place. From there, I became a part of the community garden.” Working with the TCH Planting and Stewardship Initiative has helped Len pursue his goal of improving local tree canopy coverage to provide long-term benefits for his community.
Len began participating in the TCH Planting and Stewardship Initiative in 2019 and is currently caring for 22 native trees provided by LEAF. Len takes the time to care for this outdoor space in hopes of creating a healthier and greener community.
For Len, the most meaningful aspect of the program isn’t just seeing trees get planted, it’s knowing that they are getting the care they need to live long and healthy lives. Len shared, "I hope I live to picture it years down the road when they come to a degree of maturity, and then I [can] look at it and say that I’m very happy to be a part of this [initiative].”
In addition to his stewardship efforts, Len hopes to educate the people around him on the importance of protecting the environment. Len emphasizes that, “If there is a space for one, two or three trees that need to be planted, they should be planted. That’s the way I look at it. It’s not really the experience I’m trying to gain, but it’s the reward you get by teaching young people about the value of trees.”
Len works hard to connect the people around him and inspire them to get involved in the community. “For the past two years, the pandemic kept restrictions on contacting people. But I’m still pursuing meeting with the community. I want them to see what has been done, and for them to realize that there’s some work that is involved in maintaining them and they should be part of it.” Len is always looking for more tenants to get involved in the many projects he is working on.
In addition to his role as a Tree Care member, Len is also involved in his community's fruit orchard, community garden and honeybee hives. LEAF is proud to support individuals like Len who are committed to improving their communities.
This blog is the second in a series that highlights some of the amazing community members we’ve met through our Toronto Community Housing Planning and Stewardship Initiative. This blog was written by Ruiqi Zhao based on an interview she conducted with Len Mirander. Stay tuned for our last blog in this series!
Ruiqi Zhao is a TCH Stewardship Assistant at LEAF
The TCH Planting and Stewardship Initiative is implemented by LEAF, TCH and the City of Toronto. It is funded by the City of Toronto's Urban Forestry Grant and the TD Green Space Grant from TD and the Arbor Day Foundation.