300 trees planted in Thornhill park
Vaughan trees devastated by ash borer, ice storm

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 26, 2014

Trees were on everyone’s mind in Thornhill’s Marita Payne Park, Wednesday.

To celebrate National Tree Day, Sept. 24, the not-for-profit group LEAF joined PowerStream and Ontario Power Generation employees Wednesday morning to plant more than 300 trees and shrubs in Thornhill’s Marita Payne Park in the Dufferin Road and Clark Avenue area.

In 2012, York Region’s Urban Forest Study identified the Vaughan tree canopy cover at 17 per cent - well below the city’s ideal range of 20 to 25 per cent.

Since then, Vaughan’s tree population has been hit extremely hard by both the Emerald Ash Borer and the December ice storm, resulting in significant tree loss.

Vaughan residents can also do their part by planting native trees and shrubs in their yards through LEAF’s subsidized Backyard Tree Planting Program. As part of this program, you can plant and order native trees, shrubs and garden kits for your yard.

The program helps residents plant the right tree in the right place and is supported by York Region, Ontario Power Generation and the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

LEAF is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the protection and improvement of the urban forest and engages citizens in urban forest stewardship through planting, education and training.

LEAF provides advice and resources on proper tree care to ensure that trees survive and thrive.

Visit yourleaf.org for more information.