AMO

Community Engagement through Tree Planting with Take Root

Take Root is a Forests Ontario program that makes it easy for urban residents to acquire low or no-cost native trees and/or shrubs for their homes, that leads to increased tree canopy cover through community engagement. Participants in the program are trained on the importance of a healthy urban tree canopy, how to choose the right tree/shrub, and proper planting and care techniques.

Trees and forests sequester harmful emissions, reduce flooding, and provide a cooling effect for our cities and towns – and spending time outdoors is increasingly vital for human health and well- being. It has never been more apparent; we need more greenspaces, parks, and forests, especially in urban areas.

Many municipalities are recognizing the importance of healthy urban forests and for many, the need to increase forest canopy cover. There is only so much that can be done on municipal lands, and often it’s acknowledged that to increase canopy cover, private landowners must be engaged.

By growing community capacity, knowledge sharing, and sustainability from seed to survival, we can achieve a healthy, thriving network of interconnected green spaces. The Take Root program will:

• Engage local communities and provide them with resources needed to properly plant and care for urban forest cover
• Empower local communities to take action by providing training and knowledge in becoming stewards of the urban forest for the long-term
• Enable local communities to participate in urban planting events and contribute to increasing healthy urban forest cover
• Provide an Equitable program, where everyone has an opportunity to access a low- to no-cost native source-identified tree or shrub
• Enhance Environmental co-benefits through planting activities that will help create healthy resilient forests as well as improve the physical and mental well-being of people and their communities

Planning for the Future with Forests Ontario’s Tree Seed Diversity Program

Enhancing healthy resilient urban forests through tree planting activities starts with collecting high- quality diverse seed from appropriate native species. Forests Ontario’s expertise of seed collection management, seed network and infrastructure that has been built and growing over the last 20 years. Forests Ontario’s seed collection and management program can help provide municipalities with a reliable supply of good quality source appropriate tree stock to ensure stock availability for all municipal tree and shrub planting programs and needs.

Many municipalities are incorporating tree planting and maintenance as a major component of the long-term urban planning. Sourcing planting material to implement a consistent and successful tree and shrub planting programs can be challenging and most often there is very little information on the origin of the seed, as well as inconsistencies with stock quality and availability. Most nurseries do not grow their own plant material to specification and where residual inventory is available, quite often, the origins are not appropriate.

Forests Ontario has worked with the City of Toronto for over 15 years to create and manage its Seed Diversity Program. The initiation of Toronto’s Tree Seed Diversity Project was to reduce dependency on commercial tree cultivars and increase the overall diversity and availability of native species planted within the city.

Forests Ontario works closely with Toronto to collect local native seeds and grow high-quality stock that supports urban planting programs. This model is transferable to other municipalities to help establish their own Seed Diversity Program and partnerships with local nurseries and seed collectors and citizen scientists. Forests Ontario has formed many partnerships and acquired many resources related to tree planting programs with networks of seed collectors and growing facilities across Ontario over the last 20 years. These partnerships provide the infrastructure to assist in fulfilling the goals of a robust seed diversity program.

About Forests Ontario & Forest Recovery Canada

Forests Ontario is the province’s leading charity dedicated to the creation, preservation and maintenance of forests and grasslands. Our ambitious, large-scale tree planting programs, extensive education resources, and decades of community outreach result in millions of trees being planted each year. These trees help to fight climate change, improve wildlife habitat and biodiversity, purify water systems, and help support the future of our forests. Together with our national division, Forest Recovery Canada, we are the trusted authority for those seeking to invest in the growth and future of our forests, and the health of our communities.

Forests Ontario is the voice for our forests. Visit forestsontario.ca or follow us @Forests_Ontario to find out more.