Tree For You means a tree for free, and a larger tree canopy for all

Program aims to hook Toronto residents up with the right kind of tree for their property in a bid to grow Toronto’s tree canopy.

Thestar.com
Oct. 18, 2016
By Laura Beeston

You could think of it as “seed dating,” although organizers of a tree matchmaking program hope that this will be the beginning of a long and beautiful relationship.

Tree For Me hooks up Toronto residents with the right kind of tree for their property. All you have to do is submit your address, answer a few questions about your property and its soil type, and you get matched with a free tree and the knowledge you need to ensure it survives.

The hands-on program aims to empower citizens to take “greening” Toronto into their own hands and to make private property owners a part of growing the city’s tree canopy.

“The underlying issue is that our urban forest is quite old, some would say geriatric,” said Carla Grant, executive director of Tree For Me.

Torontonians need to be thinking about the decline of our urban forest and ways to incorporate younger trees to compensate for the eventual loss of mature canopy, said Grant, who has a degree in forestry.

“(Toronto) can’t be complacent just because it looks green right now. It doesn’t mean it will always be that way,” she said.

In 2007, the city made a goal to expand Toronto’s forest cover to 40 per cent. A recent report suggests we’re now living with forest cover of 28 per cent.

“There’s always room for more trees,” said program co-ordinator Margo Mullin. She hopes that providing free, native trees and sharing proper planting, watering and winterizing techniques at the upcoming workshops will encourage locals to engage directly before the first frost.

Now is the opportune time for Torontonians to plant a tree, she added — “if (a tree) survives the winter, it will be more likely to reach maturity.”

The retail prices of similar shrubs and trees start at $29.99 apiece, according to the Sheridan Nurseries Toronto Garden centre. Planting a more mature tree can cost hundreds of dollars, depending on the size of the tree.

Organizers of Tree For Me also pointed to a number of studies that show how trees transform neighbourhoods by improving health and alleviating mental fatigue, encouraging slower driving and increasing property values.

One study, which analyzed aggression and violence in urban settings, even found that people who live in wooded neighbourhoods are less violent. Another found that having 10 more trees in a city block, on average, “improved health perception in ways comparable to an increase in annual personal income of $10,000 . . . or (comparable to) being seven years younger.”

The Tree For Me program also offers Tree Mobile services for anyone who is unable to attend an event or plant a tree due to limits to their mobility. Those running the program are encouraging Torontonians to add their trees to Citytrees.ca, an interactive, tree-mapping tool that calculates the benefits of the tree planted.