Project type: Neighbourhood Re-Leaf
Year: 2016
Season: Spring
As part of the Neighbourhood ReLeaf program, ReForest London recruited a special team of storytellers to capture the experiences of participants and volunteers. Not only was our first three days of Tree Blitzing a great success with 534 trees planted in the White Oaks area, it was also a success because of the unique moments shared between ReForest London volunteers and the community.
Daniel, one of RFL’s volunteers, lead a group of YMAP volunteers (a YMCA Youth integration and leadership program) and was very excited to bring more trees into the community — often going ahead of his team in his eagerness to get more people involved. Daniel loved planting trees so much he came three days in a row to plant trees in the White Oaks neighbourhood!
Neighbourhood Tree Blitz participants Nicole and Karen had a wagon of new additions to their yard, including white spruce, white pine and nannyberry. Nicole was very happy with the program and her new trees saying, “Oh I love trees. It’s for the environment. It’s for the birds. It’s for the shade. It’s for the nature. It’s kind of like a legacy in a sort of a way.”
ReForest London super volunteers, Tyler and Robyn (Marketing Committee member and GIS volunteer respectively), got their hands dirty planting many trees on their route including Tyler’s first-ever tree, a majestic red maple. The Zabian family added a serviceberry and a black cherry tree to their already abundantly treed lot.
These are only a few of the stories captured at our first Tree Blitz event. Be sure to check back for more special moments from the many Neighbourhood ReLeaf events scheduled this summer.
Thank you to the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Richard and Beryl Ivey, a fund within the London Community Foundation, TreeMe and the City of London and KPMG for being lead funders on this project.
