York Region praised for forestry education

Programs earn award at upcoming Forests Ontario conference

Yorkregion.com
Feb. 18, 2022
Kim Zarzour

Can you tell the difference between a burr oak and a butternut?

Do you know what poison ivy looks like, or how to build a bark quilt?

If you do, chances are you’ve taken advantage of York Region’s free forestry education programs.

Now those programs are being recognized by Forests Ontario at the non-profit charity’s annual conference celebrating champions of the forest.

The conference that brings together 800 landowners, forestry professionals, Indigenous leaders, entrepreneurs, educators and students from Canada and around the world, announced Feb. 11 that the Region of York was being honoured with the Susan Wiecek Forestry Education Award.

This award recognizes individuals or organizations for outstanding contributions to forestry education in Ontario.

York Region offers a number of outdoor programs for residents, clubs and schools based on the James Raffan approach: “learning about nature is no substitute for learning in nature."

The region earned the kudos for its continuous support of Forests Ontario's education programs including the Spring Forest Festival and Discover Your Forest kits that provide free activities for residents.

The Tree Bee competition, funded by the region for six years, helps students, families and communities identify the trees and forests in their backyards.

A pilot Virtual Hike project launched last year offers an online trek through Eldred King Woodlands with tour guide “Madeleine” explaining fun facts such as how to stay safe from poison ivy, why trees are planted in rows and what makes the Oak Ridges Moraine so special.

For more on York Region Forest Walks and Events, visit York.ca