During the 1960s, as elms fell victim to the horror of Dutch elm disease, urban forests and the neighbourhoods they towered over were changed forever. In Toronto, nearly 80 per cent of the elms were lost and to this day it is rare to find mature ones around the city.
As it stands today, our city is faced with even greater threats to its leafy wellbeing – emerald ash borers, and budget cuts are looming examples of why it is as important as ever to keep trees alive in conversation, consciousness and communities.
While it's great to be recognized, it wouldn’t be fair to say we’ve done everything alone. We’ve had huge support along the way from dedicated and talented volunteers (I used to be one myself). We’ve been inspired by groups that were active long before we got our start – organizations across North America like New Jersey Trees, Friends of the Urban Forest in San Francisco and the Alliance for Community Trees.
We never cease to be amazed by the energy and passion of other urban forest groups across Ontario – ones we've connected with through the magic of the internet (something that didn’t work quite as well when we were starting out). Through social media, we’ve been able to share stories, successes and strategies across borders, find new groups that are doing amazing things, and connect with them in a meaningful way.
The founding members of the Urban Forest Stewardship Network - ReForest London, Neighbourwoods on the Grand, Ottawa Forests and Greenspace Advisory Committee, Peterborough Green-Up and ReLeaf Hamilton - have been amazing to work with and to learn from. And of course there are our friends at Not Far From The Tree (who won the neighbourhood title in the Annex) and GreenHere, both with their own approach to growing the appreciation of our natural attractions in Toronto.
We are thankful to our long standing partners – Toronto Hydro, Ontario Power Generation, Ontario Power Authority, York Region and the town of Markham, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Live Green Toronto, Toronto Transit Comission (TTC), the Canadian Tree Fund, Sobey’s Earthday Canada, Evergreen Canada and Home Depot, the Centre for Social Innovation and the Sustainability Network – all of whom have stood by us over the years.
The NOW Magazine piece describes us as the “best when it comes to preserving and enhancing the city’s greenery” and as a group that is “growing tree consciousness and [people’s] relationship with space.” They're also quick to point out that “making the city’s neglected nooks and crannies” is a huge part of what we do.
So all that said, I would like to thank everyone who voted online and give a huge shout to everyone who voted with their boots, camera lenses and hours of hard work in the field. Because we could not do this without you.
