The children at Royal School got a new addition to their playground this June. We’ve planted a Larch tree in honour of Arbor Day.
“It’s a very special day and one of the most fun days we have in our day-to-day job,” said Martha Barwinsky, City Forester.
Arbor Day is a day dedicated to trees and is marked in early June.
Leading up to it, our Urban Forestry crews work to identify an elementary school each year to receive a tree. After the tree is planted, Urban Forestry staff water it for two years to ensure it has a solid start.
It’s a tradition we’ve been a part of for over 25 years.
“Schools will do programming around trees and Arbor Day as part of their curriculum,” said Barwinsky. “The kids get really excited and it's an important thing for them to be a part of early on in their lives.”
Royal School put on a special assembly featuring a song, poem, and speeches about the importance of trees. Some even got the chance to work with Barwinsky to put down soil and mulch around the new tree.
The tree is one of many we’re planting this year. In fact, crews and contractors are in the process of planting 6,500 trees along our boulevards and in parks.
“Naturalist Services also has been planting a lot of tree saplings for several years to naturalize some areas and they're going to be continuing with that this year,” said Barwinsky.
We’re also partnering with community organizations for two Arbor Day celebrations this weekend. One in Bruce Park and the other in Henteleff Park.
Our City, Our Podcast
Hear more from Barwinsky about our urban canopy in the May 2025 episode of Our City, Our Podcast.