Guelph Loves Trees 2011 School Challenge

Guelph Loves Trees 2007

GUFF announces the Guelph Loves Trees 2011 school challenge.

GUFF has issued a challenge to the public elementary schools in Guelph – take part in the Guelph Loves Trees 2011 competition for a chance to win a $500 award to your school’s library.

Using an entry form provided by GUFF, and distributed to teachers by the school librarian, students are invited to use words and images to convey the importance of protecting and planting trees in Guelph.

The $500 award will go to the school with the highest number of entries per student population and will be presented at a celebratory event to be held at 11a.m. at 10 Carden St. on Saturday April 23 to mark Earth Day.

Samples of the entries from each school will be on display at 10 Carden and students and their families, their teachers and the general public will be invited to enjoy the show.  GUFF will also showcase the best entries at its public events in the coming year.

Guelph Loves Trees is an opportunity for students to be creative while learning more about trees and their value to the environment. Students are encouraged to draw and write about their favourite trees and parks and the benefits that these trees bring in terms of shade, shelter, clean air, water retention, and food for people and animals.

Guelph Loves Trees is one of several projects planned for 2011 by GUFF in recognition of the International Year of the Forest.

 

Resources For The ‘Guelph Loves Trees 2011′ School Contest

Resources for the Guelph Urban Forest Friends Guelph Loves Trees 2011 School Challenge:

Because the urban forest canopy of Guelph is well below the recommended 40% tree cover that will aid our ecological adaptation to the stress of  climate change, GUFF supports awareness and action to remedy this situation.  Native species are the best trees to withstand  climate stress. Big trees can give us the added benefits of shade to reduce ‘the heat island effect’ of our city.

Some possible ideas for your theme or image to put within the circle:

• your favorite native tree or trees and their importance to you and Guelph
• how trees aid water quality
• your favorite park and its trees indicating why it is your favourite
• trees, their leaves and climate change
• the relationship between tree canopy and smog

A healthy tree canopy will include many different native trees including the following: Burr Oak, Shumard Oak, Chinquapin Oak, Red Oak, Sugar Maple, Silver Maple, Freeman Maple, Black Cherry,  Black Walnut, Bitternut Hickory, American Beech, Paper Birch, Honey Locust, Blue Ash. Other Carolinian species for Guelph include the Tulip Tree and Kentucky Coffee Tree.

And for more diversity, some conifers: White Pine, Eastern White Cedar, Tamarack, White Spruce, Eastern Hemlock .

Some useful web references:

www.evergreen.ca/nativeplants/learn_more
www.treecanada.ca
www.grandriver.ca
www.ontariotrees.com

 

Heritage Trees – Preserving Our Natural Roots, Postponed until May

The talk on Heritage Trees – Preserving our Natural Roots by Edith George scheduled for March 23 has been postponed until May.

 

Heritage Trees – Preserving our Natural Roots by Edith George, Adviser to the Ontario Urban Forest Council  and past Director of the Weston Historical Society.

Jack Radecki, past president of OUFC will also be present to explain the importance of heritage designation in supporting our heritage trees and Guelph’s history.

What is a Heritage Tree? and Why is it important to protect them?

We learn how a tree can be designated as “heritage”, using the toolkit produced by the Ontario Heritage Tree Alliance. Edith’s main focus is on how we can identify a tree’s historical and cultural significance. She uses one of her neighbourhood’s special red oaks as the example tree in her presentation.

Come out and enjoy the second of Guelph Urban Forest Friends special evenings,  “The Trees in Our Life” for the 2011 International Year of the Forest.

 

New Info On Old Trees

Research into the interactions between old trees and their moss that harbours cyanobacteria, produces a combination that contributes to the long-term health of surrounding trees. They are somehow fertilizing the ecosystems around them.

Without the presence of these old trees, the health of the surrounding younger trees is degraded.

Read more about this  interesting research HERE.

 

 

The Trees In Our Life – February 23 2011

 

Tree Workshops At The Arboretum – Spring 2011

The Arboretum at the University of Guelph offers many inspiring workshops and courses. Of particular interest to GUFF are the two below. A full list can be found at www.uoguelph/arboretum.

• The Art & Practice of Pruning: Tuesday, March 22, 2011 or Wednesday, March 23, 2011 – 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm – This half-day indoor/outdoor practical workshop will teach you the principles of easy and correct pruning in the home garden.  This is a very popular course, so register early!  Arboretum Horticulturist: Sean Fox.  Fee: $55.00.  Registration deadline: Tuesday, March 15.  *Maximum 16 adults/session.
• About Trees: Tuesday, June 7, 2011  – 7:00 – 9:00 pm. Do you want to learn more about trees, including the ones in your own backyard?  Join Horticulturist Sean Fox on a walk through the World of Trees collection as he discusses pollination, fall colour, aging, and disease resistance, as well as some interesting facts about some very unique trees and shrubs!  Take home an informative booklet on how to care for trees.  Arboretum Horticulturist: Sean Fox.  Fee:  $35.00.  Registration deadline: Tuesday, May 31.  Maximum 20 adults.

 

Diana Beresford-Kroeger On The Complexity Of Trees

Diana Beresford Kroeger

Diana Beresford-Kroeger, botanist and medical biochemist,  was the keynote speaker at the Ontario Urban Forest Council Conference held in St Catherine’s in autumn 2010.

In her presentation Diane talked of trees as extraordinary, complex species. In our earth system the trees connect us to the sun as they oxygenate the planet. She spoke of the vast tonnage of tri-terpenes that are liberated by the boreal forest like a detergent cleaning the air with natural fungicides and natural antibiotics. They hang onto cloud droplets and regulate the weather of the world.

Diane talked about democracy of the land and how we need a land agreement between the species for care and sharing. And then she detailed specific trees that give massive carbon sequestration and can help us withstand the huge flow of severe weather and UV exposure that climate change is bringing .

If you want to learn more, there are a few copies of her latest book, The Global Forest at the Guelph Public Library. It is a fascinating read. You won’t be disappointed.

 

Sustainable Guelph Presentation

 

Make A Date To Plant A Tree – Mark Cullen

Great article from Mark Cullen in The Toronto Star regarding the importance of trees in urban neighbourhoods.

Here is an excerpt:

For a long time it has made eminent sense to me that we need more trees in our urban spaces. If we spent more time and money on the planting of trees and the maintenance of the ones that we have, can you imagine the difference that it would make?

Here are some points to ponder from a variety of studies including one conducted in Chicago by the University of Illinois called the “Vegetation and Crime Study.”

Check out a full list of referenced studies here: www.markcullen.com.

Consider what trees do in our urban area:

• Compared with buildings that had little or no vegetation, buildings with high levels of greenery had 48 per cent fewer property crimes and 56 per cent fewer violent crimes.
• Trees encourage physical activity. Comfortable outdoor environments are more conducive to encouraging exercise. Research in the Netherlands and Japan indicate that people were more likely to walk or cycle to work if the streets were lined with trees. Residents feel better and live longer as a result.
• The proximity of green space (and trees) to people’s homes increases the likelihood residents will choose to walk over other forms of transport.
• Green play sites reduce the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
• Trees and green space helps reduce mental fatigue and stress and has important benefits for childhood development.
• A survey of 1,350 real estate agents showed that 85 per cent believe that a home with trees would be as much as 20 per cent more saleable than a home without trees.
• CP Morgan, a developer in Indiana, found that his wooded lots sell for an average of 20 per cent more than similar non-wooded lots.

Add the well documented facts that trees cool the atmosphere, produce oxygen, sequester carbon, filter and slow storm water runoff, and transpire moisture on hot days. You get the picture.

The Toronto Urban Forestry Study, “Every Tree Counts,” estimates the value of Toronto’s Urban Forest ecologically as providing “at least $60 million in ecological services each year”.

In Toronto, there are about 4 million mature trees in public spaces and 6 million more on private land. At one time, the tree canopy in Toronto covered almost 40 per cent of our land area; today, it covers approximately 20 per cent. The tree canopy in Toronto has been in decline since the 1960s.

As you contemplate all of these facts, think about the impact more trees would have in urban spaces in our lifetime — and that of future generations.

Mark Cullen

Read the full article

GUFF Guelph

 

Protecting Guelph’s Urban Forest – Candidate Responses

As we’re sure you know, Municipal Election Day — Monday, October 25 — is less than a week away.  GUFF sent a questionnaire to each of the candidates, and asked them to reply by Monday, October 18.

Not all have answered, but we hope you will take a look at the responses before you cast your vote. You might also consider why a candidate might fail to respond to questions about how they value our trees. You can see samples of some of the comments below.

The names of the candidates who responded are highlighted.  If you click on the name, you will see the responses of that candidate.

Candidates who responded to the questions were:

Mayor:   Scott L. Nightingale

Ward 1: Bob Bell, Karolyne Pickett, Gary Walton, Linda Murphy
Ward 3:  Craig Chamberlain, Mark Enchin
Ward 4:  Cam Guthrie, Mike Salisbury
Ward 5:  Leanne Piper

Candidates who did not answer the questions but sent in general comments were:  Karen Farbridge, Ian Findlay, Karl Wettstein and David Birtwistle.

We hope candidates’ answers will help voters understand their views on funding for initiatives to maintain our urban forest and to educate the public on the many benefits of trees.

There is also excellent information for voters on issues such as growth, trees, taxes and development, etc. at:

www.voteguelph.ca
www.royalcityrag.ca
www.guelphcivicleague.ca

Sample responses:

“I will  support requiring the evaluation of the ecological value of trees that developers (whether private or the municipality itself) are proposing to remove”

“How far in your pocket or in your backyard do you want your City Council?”

“New developments and infrastructure replacement should be designed and built with shade as a mandatory requirement.”

“I tend to lean more towards property rights of the individual than for government interfering with trees on that person’s property.”

“We need to add protection for trees as part of our building permit process.”

“Our public trees are assets and long term investments.”