Tree Stewardship

Urban trees need you

I want everyone to look out at your front yard, look at the trees. How many trees do you have? What species are they? Are they in good health? Now, go to your back yard and do the same thing. Consider the trees in your neighbour’s yards, the trees that line the streets, or the trees in Parks. It is important to remember that each individual tree is contributing to something much bigger, an ecosystem that supports so much life and provides many unseen benefits.

Happy Recipients of Native Trees

Starting my internship with the Long Branch Neighbourhood Association (LBNA), I was thrilled to see their involvement in so much, including planting trees, Tree Fest, and their work on the Neighbourwoods® inventory project. It is clear that the LBNA cares about the trees of Long Branch, and I have been thrilled to get to know this amazing community, and to work on the LBNA Tree Stewardship projects this summer.

Some may ask: “What is tree stewardship?” and “Why are we promoting it?”

It’s simple, actually, tree stewardship is the job of monitoring and maintaining trees. The important thing to remember is action. 

How to Protect Your Trees

Urban trees face many additional stresses from living in the city, so they require more attention than a tree in the forest. This summer has been hot and dry, don’t forget that your trees need water too! Trees need deep long watering, as opposed to the shallow frequent watering of grass. Another way to help get your tree enough water is with mulch. Mulch benefits your tree by retaining water, regulating temperature, providing physical protection, and more. 

How Trees Help our Environment

The City of Toronto has been planting new trees to raise the average canopy cover of Toronto from 27% to 40%. Planting trees in your own yard helps contribute to this goal however, most canopy coverage comes from older trees. These older trees have massive canopies that filter pollutants from the air and soil, as well as reduce storm water run-off and provide shading and cooling for the community. Unfortunately, once the tree is planted, the resources aren’t always available to look after them for the remainder of their life. This is why we need your help as tree stewards.

What You Can Do

At the beginning of the article I asked about the trees in your area, and if you didn’t know the information, that’s okay! Learning is a part of Stewardship too. And that’s why we have a lot of fun and exciting events going on this summer including: Tree Walks, Tree workshops and the Tree festival! All of this and more is made possible thanks to the contributions from our summer inventory team, Nicole, Savannah, Evan, Lucas as well as Richard, who is working on our LBNA Tree app.

We have one last member of our team, you! Get involved yourself, learn something new, plant a tree, or give a tree some water and a hug. Give back to nature and conserve the beautiful trees in our amazing Etobicoke communities.

If you would like more information on any of our projects please take a few minutes to explore our website .

Or register for an upcoming event at https://lbnasummerevents2020.eventbrite.ca

Jonathan Dionne, who wrote this post, is a Master of Forest Conservation candidate at the University of Toronto and is the Long Branch Neighbourhood Association Tree Stewardship Program Lead.

This article was also published in The Etobicoke Guardian and toronto.com.

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Meet More LBNA Summer Interns!

Whether or not you choose to participate in our Neighbourwoods Tree Inventory, you’ll probably see these summer interns in their green T-shirts.

Meet Nicole Bitter

I am very excited to be back working for the Long Branch Neighbourhood Association and taking part in the LBNA tree programs. Last year our team visited many of the properties in Long Branch and I had the pleasure of meeting the residents and getting to know the area.

I live on the west end of Long Branch where my grandparents bought a condo in the 70s and I remember many visits to Marie Curtis Park and taking the GO train downtown.

I am a graduate student from Fleming College and the University of Guelph where I took Environmental Science programs and developed my love for nature and trees.

I really enjoyed my summer last year learning about urban trees and the importance of preserving forest ecosystems in city areas. I love working outside and also within small communities to try and spread awareness and understanding for the living world.

From my many years at school, I have studied the relationship between humans and nature and why it is so important to maintain a healthy balance in any landscape. Growing up in the GTA, I have a keen interest in helping the urban environment achieve a more symbiotic relationship with nature than it has in the past. I believe that by following and applying what we know of ecology and biology we can grow to become a more sustainable community and world. 

Meet Lucas Udvarnoky

A photo of one of our summer interns, Lucas Udvarnoky

I’m a jazz music student at the University of Toronto, entering my 4th year. I started playing guitar when I was 8 years old, and I play the trumpet at U of T. I enjoy listening to and playing all kinds of music!

I’ve lived in Long Branch since 1999 and this is my second year on the Long Branch tree inventory team.

I have a love for nature (especially trees) and am excited to be working around trees again this summer. I’m eager to see all of the beautiful and interesting species that are planted, as well as the old and wise. I’ve always been an avid tree watcher and am always on the lookout for noteworthy trees!

I care a lot about the environment and am happy to be a part of an effort to help our urban forest. It is awesome to both live and work in Long Branch!

Meet Savannah Bein

I am a fourth year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, majoring in environmental studies with minors in French and German. Because I have lived my whole life in Long Branch, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with nature in my own neighbourhood.

During my undergrad, we studied the sustainable development goals. Particularly, the goal of “building sustainable cities” caught my interest, which I focused my research in. I am really interested in the combination of dense urban cities meeting the balance of nature. I look forward to preserving the green canopy and preserving the character of Long Branch as the neighbourhood continues to grow. 

Meet Evan Udvarnoky

I am a passionate science student studying biology at the University of Waterloo and I am excited to begin my second year of studying in September.

I have been a resident of Long Branch my whole life and have enjoyed all 19 years of living in this beautiful neighbourhood. I enjoy the outdoors and my hobbies include mountain biking, kayaking, hiking, and camping.

This position interests me as I will get to spend my summer outdoors and in my neighbourhood. As a biology student, I’m also looking forward to expanding my knowledge of trees and the ecosystems around me. I’m ready to apply my learning from school. 

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LBNA Launches New Tree Stewardship Programs!

The Long Branch Neighbourhood Association has been very active in programs to preserve and re-build the tree canopy in Long Branch.

These programs have included Tree for Me – distribution of free native Canadian trees for residents to plant at home. Another is Long Branch Remembers – again distributing native species to commemorate veterans connected to Long Branch.

Our latest program is structured around Tree Stewardship.

What better way to celebrate Canada Day than a guided walk to learn about trees (physical distancing requirements will all be met so the walk is enjoyable and safe for all) or an on-line workshop to learn how to care for your young trees so they grow to become gentle giants (or healthy mid-size trees).  

Registration is now open for the first programs in our new series.   It is free thanks to a grant to the Long Branch Neighbourhood Association (LBNA) from the City of Toronto.  

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What is that Tree?

Discover Long Branch and Nature

Join us on this exciting 1.5 hour walk to learn how to identify and talk about trees by looking at leaf anatomy and other distinguishing features!

Two Sessions: Friday, July 3, 2020 at either 9:00 am or 11:30am
Starts and ends in Sam Smith Park

Led by Jonathan Dionne,  Long Branch Tree Stewardship Program Lead and University of Toronto Masters in Forest Conservation Candidate.

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Meet Jonathan Dionne

Born and raised in rural Nova Scotia, Jonathan grew up outside, hiking, biking, and relaxing at the lake. After completing his undergraduate degree at Dalhousie University with a major in biology and a minor in statistics, Jon made the move to the big city of Toronto, surrounding himself by what he loves, nature!  
 
 Currently doing his masters in forest conservation at the University of Toronto, Jonathan is spending the summer working on a community engagement and urban tree stewardship project within the community of Long Branch.

While Jon is excited about developing professional skills in the field, and to share his knowledge and enthusiasm for biodiversity and forest management, he is especially looking forward to: getting to know the community and its members, and to help create a healthy, relaxing, and sustainable urban environment for everyone to enjoy!

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