ECOLOGY
In Toronto, we have access to 1,500 parks that cover a combined area of 8,000 hectares. These spaces range from small parkettes to big parks like High Park and Sunnybrook Park, and include the Scarborough Bluffs escarpment, shorelines and wetlands like Ashbridge's Bay and Humber Marshes, and numerous ravines that are great for walking, exploring, and animal-spotting. We truly are fortunate to have so many green spaces in an urban environment but we need to continue taking care of them. Protecting and increasing our city's green canopy is not only important for aesthetic reasons but for health reasons as well.
Our urban forests and trees have many valuable functions:
- Trees breathe - filtering polluted city air and turning it into cleaner oxygen.
- Provide shade during the hot summer months. This helps reduce the urban heat island effect, which refers to a localised rise in temperatures as a result of our extensive paved areas and flat roofs that absorb and radiate heat. The evapotranspiration from the trees means that they absorb heat from the sun and through their 'breathing' process expel moisture back into the air, which provides a slight cooling effect.
- Help lower energy use of air-conditioners in the summer by providing shade from direct sunlight, therefore helping to lower a household's energy bill.
- Act as wind breaks.
- Provide a habitat for numerous bird and insect species, as well as small mammals.
- Prevent soil erosion through their extensive root systems.
- And they are pleasing to look at!
Urban trees, however, are often stressed. They have to deal with constant air pollution from motor traffic, winter salt, root damage during construction or due to other carelessness, and getting enough water to survive. Paving all around and over their roots leaves only a very small area for rainwater to penetrate the little bit of soil that is left. Average survival of city trees is therefore only around seven years!
This makes protection of existing trees and parks very important and re-planting of trees essential. The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority has a comprehensive reforestation program and hosts public tree plantings, in which anyone can participate (TRCA). The not-for-profit organisation Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests, or LEAF, has also contributed enormously to increasing the urban canopy. They provide workshops on tree identification and care, organise backyard tree plantings, and host related events. Contact them for information (Leaf Toronto). And if you live or work on a tree-lined street, especially where trees are restricted in concrete containers, take some time every now and then to water them during dry periods.
Find A Way is currently negotiating with the City of Toronto to start an Adopt-A-Tree program at Monarch Park, near our studio. We want to encourage individuals to take responsibility for the care of three trees within the park. We will post an update on our site as soon as we have further details.
