LEAF (Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests) is throwing two tree tours this weekend. These tours are a great way to learn more about Toronto’s urban forest, the stresses that our city’s trees face, and the stories behind some of our neighbourhoods’ most cherished trees. Both tours listed below are lead by arborist (and Spacing’s Green Space columnist) Todd Irvine in partnership with members of the local community. Here are the details:
WHEN: Saturday June 14, 2008
WHERE: Cedarvale Park and Neighbourhood Tree Tour
START: 1:00 pm
END: 3:00 pm
Suggested donation: $5.If you would like to attend, please complete RSVP form.
MEET AT: Cedarvale Park at the Children’s Garden | Google MapAmid the atmosphere of the locally-inspired Strawberries and Asparagus Festival, LEAF arborist Todd Irvine and Lost Rivers expert Helen Mills will lead us through the changing landscape of the Cedarvale Ravine and its surrounding community. Discover remnant oaks that once lined the banks of the Cedarvale Stream, a part of the Lower Don River watershed. Explore neighbourhood streets to discover a massive oak as well as a catalpa tree and a beautiful weeping Japanese cherry. Learn about the threats posed by invasive tree species to this disturbed ravine ecosystem and the challenges of balancing recreational uses in the park with an on-going wet meadow restoration project.
– – – – – – –
WHEN: Sunday June 15, 2008
WHERE: Bain Co-operative Tree Tour 2008
START: 2:00 pm
END: 4:00 pm
Suggested donation: $5If you would like to attend, please complete RSVP form.
MEET AT: Chester subway station | Google Map
Join LEAF arborist Todd Irvine and Lost Rivers expert Helen Mills as they take a tour of the Bain Co-operative, a charming enclave of nearly century-old low-rise apartments nestled in the heart of Riverdale. Flowers spill onto the narrow sidewalks, cats lounge on stairways, clotheslines arch from balcony to balcony, and grand trees tower above, including a row of giant London plane trees and a massive Carolina poplar. Much of the Bain’s appeal is the colourful gardens that grace the shared courtyards, a result of the hard work of committed members such as Dagmar Baur who will join us on the tour to share her experiences. The tour will also explore the lost history of the fertile marshland atop which the Bain apartments were built. Helen will paint a vivid picture of the original landscape and the streams that would have run south down the hill and fed into the marsh.
photo by Andrew Chui
