Why Seed Sources Matter in a Changing Climate

Posted: 2024.06.01

Growing healthy, resilient forests with the City of Toronto

By Sandra Iacobelli

Last fall marked the second year of Forests Ontario’s 10-year partnership with the City of Toronto’s Tree Seed Diversity Program, and progress is well underway.

Earlier in 2023, Forests Ontario supplied its second shipment of source-identified and appropriate hardwoods, conifers and shrubs that were planted by the City of Toronto to enhance the genetic diversity and resiliency of the city’s forests, parks, ravines, river valleys, meadows and wetlands. Another allotment of stock was planted in the fall of 2023 by the City of Toronto’s field crews and volunteers in restoration programs.

While the focus of this important collaboration is to secure and provide a reliable and consistent supply of source-identified, adaptive native plant material for the city’s Urban Forestry division, the program also includes native seed forecasting, seed collection, tracking, monitoring, and coordination to grow the stock. In fact, Forests Ontario has so far banked close to two million viable seeds for Toronto’s Tree Seed Diversity Program, sourcing them from a variety of appropriate areas (ecodistricts) that will benefit the landscape of Canada’s biggest city for years to come.

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Left: City of Toronto community volunteer restoration planting at Hullmar Park using stock grown through the Tree Seed Diversity Program, fall 2023. Photo courtesy of City of Toronto.

Right: City of Toronto community volunteer restoration planting at Hague Park using trees and shrubs grown through the Tree Seed Diversity Program, fall 2023. Photo courtesy of City of Toronto.

“There is security in knowing where the supply of trees and shrubs are coming from, and feeling confident in their quality,” says Kim Statham, Director of Urban Forestry with the City of Toronto. “Source-identified plant material is key to ensuring the thousands of units we are planting each year have a greater chance of survival and are more resilient to the multiple stressors of severe weather and wildfires, invasive species and climate change. We hope this project will inspire other municipalities to request source-identified materials from their suppliers.”

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Left: Forests Ontario’s Seed & Stock Specialist Mark McDermid (left), on a site visit at Centennial Park with City of Toronto Natural Resources Management staff, October 2023. Photo by Forests Ontario.

Right: Kristen Vincent, Nousheen Ahmed, and Kaylyn Crawford with the City of Toronto, along with Forests Ontario’s Mark McDermid and Andi Darell Alhakim in Centennial Park, October 2023. Photo by Forests Ontario.

While some species of trees and shrubs may be more difficult to acquire due to the natural cycle of seed crops, seed quality, environmental factors or wildlife pressures, Forests Ontario works with our network of seed collectors and nursery partners to ensure alternatives are considered and readily available to meet the same objectives, site characteristics, and growing schedules.

“Our long-term collaboration with the City of Toronto is a great example of the multi-faceted approach and expertise needed to ensure the new trees and shrubs planted in our urban centres have the greatest chance for survival,” says Jess Kaknevicius, CEO of Forests Ontario. “Our ultimate goal is to grow healthy and resilient urban forests for residents and visitors to enjoy and benefit from for years to come, and that all starts with a seed.”

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Left: City of Toronto Natural Resource Management staff unload program grown stock at the City’s Unwin Nursery where the plant material will live temporarily until they are planted in City parks and ravines. Photo courtesy of City of Toronto.

Right: City of Toronto Natural Resource Management staff organizing plant material grown for the Tree Seed Diversity Program to be planted in City parks and ravines. Photo courtesy of City of Toronto.

In late October 2023, the City of Toronto was named a restoration champion by the United Nations Environment Program and #GenerationRestoration leader in ecological restoration and urban forest management. As an official Restoration Implementer of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, Forests Ontario is proud to partner with the City of Toronto to advance its Tree Seed Diversity Program and congratulates Toronto on this important acknowledgement as we work together to help restore nature’s rightful place in urban areas.

To find out more about Forests Ontario and the Seed Diversity Program, please visit forestsontario.ca.

This article was originally published in the Fall-Winter 2023 edition of Our Forest.