Guelph Urban Forest Friends

Howitt Park Community Tree Plant
2023-05-13 09:30 - 12:30 UTC | Howitt Park, 81 Beechwood Avenue, Guelph, ON, Canada
Join Bill Gaines and the whole crew from Trees for Guelph.
We plant rain or shine or (hopefully not) snow.
Planting starts at 9:30 AM and runs until 12:30 PM. Drop by for as long as you can. Plant one tree or plant for all three hours.
Register on-site on the day at the welcome table.
You may bring your own shovel, pails for watering and gardening gloves. If you don’t have gear…DON’T WORRY, we have some you can borrow.
Please wear sturdy footwear and layers of clothing that are comfortable to work and have fun in.
We spread out to plant but please follow all the public health guidelines when arriving and during the planting demonstrations.
Bill Gaines will be demonstrating planting techniques continuously throughout the planting sessions so come for as little or as long as you can. Learn all the techniques to plant for high survival rates. (Don’t worry – Bill has been trained by the best – Moritz Sanio. Moritz will be back in the spring)
Are you a high school students wanting volunteer hours? Make sure to bring your log sheet so we can record your efforts.

Hanlon Business Park Community Tree Plant
2023-05-06 09:30 - 12:30 UTC | Hanlon Business Park

Guelph Tree Trust Event
2023-04-29 09:00 - 15:00 UTC | Woodlawn Memorial Park, 762 Woolwich St,, Guelph, ON, N1H 3Z1, Canada
Guelph Tree Trust Inaugural Tree Care Event on Saturday April 29
On Saturday April 29, 2023, Guelph Tree Trust (GTT) will provide arborist care for a magnificent old Black Walnut tree in Woodlawn Memorial Park. The public will be invited to attend and watch a team of arborists pruning high in the crown of this legacy tree – a tree which may be as old as the cemetery itself at 160 years.
Members of GTT will be on hand to provide information on the tree and pruning work of a team lead by GTT arborist Doug Steel, of Full Circle Tree Care. The event will include tree-related family friendly activities such as guided tree walks within the cemetery.

Hanlon Creek Forest - Planting Day
2023-04-22 09:00 - 14:00 UTC | 335 Laird Rd, Guelph, ON, 335 Laird Rd, Guelph, ON, Canada
Join us in planting a new forest in Guelph on Earth Day
Parking, Site Access, and Environmental Fair at 335 Laird Road
Plant trees and enjoy the environmental fair with a variety of booths, entertainment, and food.
Trees, shovels, mulch, pails, and planting instruction provided.
Wear boots and gloves for your comfort.
Each tree you plant will sequester 1 ton of carbon dioxide by the time it reaches 40 years old.
This site will take 4 years to plant and could become part of a future pollinator flyway.
Trees such as native oaks, sugar maples, and shrubs like serviceberries are popular with pollinators and are well suited to restoring our natural heritage system. This new forest will help clean our air and water, and become a home for nesting birds and other animals. When the forest becomes mature, it will sequester approximately 6,000 tons of carbon every year. The trees we plant will benefit generations to come – including the sugar maples that can be tapped and enjoyed b

Private tree protection bylaw review
2023-03-07 - 2023-04-14 | ON
The city of Guelph has begun a review of its private tree protection bylaw. The review which is being conducted by an outside consultant should be complete by March 2024 when the revised bylaw will be presented to Council.
Help us find the right balance to protect and enhance Guelph’s tree canopy while we continue to grow and develop across the city.
Share your thoughts with the city in a variety of ways.

Complete the online survey
Attend an information session in-person or online
Visit us at a community pop-up

Go to Have Your Say for more information

Noticing Nature for Adults
2022-09-27 14:00 - 15:00 UTC | Yorklands, 785 York Road, Guelph, ON, Canada
To celebrate National Forest Week this month, we will have a Noticing Nature sessions for adults!
Tues. Sept. 27th, 2pm to 3pm.
We will walk amidst the trees and journal on the experience.
Meet at the main gate
Come if you are able!

Yorklands Green Hub Tree Festival
2022-09-24 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | ON
Join us on Saturday, September 24th from 1:00pm to 3:00pm as we celebrate National Forest Week with art and music!
Trees are an essential part of life and we love to celebrate them at Yorklands Green Hub!
Join us as we walk through the trees, encountering musicians, artists and meditators. Our collective appreciation will travel on the wind through the trees and beyond. Activities for the young and (not-so) old!
Sorry, no bathrooms on site. Park on the south side York Rd. west of the main gate. Or take Guelph Transit bus #4.
For more info, please email Bernadette at bwycks@yorklandsgreenhub.ca

Nature Guelph Wildflower Speaker Series
2022-09-21 19:30 - 21:00 UTC | ON
Please join Nature Guelph Wildflower society, Pollination Guelph and Guelph Urban Forest Friends for a National Forest Day Presentation by Joyce Hostyn. All are welcome!
Joyce will be presenting “Little Forests for Urban Yards”
PRE_REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Register for this Zoom event by visiting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcld-6urjksGNfP93EzTlwS6nIkk1LmH2-b
THIS EVENT IS FREE BUT DONATIONS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME
Donations can be made through Canada Helps to Nature Guelph or Pollination Guelph

National Forest Week: An Old-Growth Forest Project Tour and Retrospective
2022-09-18 10:00 - 13:00 UTC | 53 Cross Creek Boulevard, 53 Cross Creek Boulevard, Guelph, ON, Canada
A 2-3 hour tour through the Ignatius Old-Growth Forest Project, including reflections on past and present restoration activities.

About this event

Forests and other natural spaces are necessary for human health and wellbeing as well as providing habitat and food for all our non-human neighbours. The Ignatius Old-Growth Forest Project has been actively pursuing forest and riparian restoration activities since 2014, but the work began long before the Project’s official launch as the “Plant an Old-Growth Forest Project.” Join us on Sunday, September 18th as we kick off National Forest Week with a walk through the Project grounds and a retrospective on its history. We will talk about the dam removal that paved the way in 2009; community collaboration and engagement; past and ongoing restoration activities to improve connectivity and manage invasive species; and adaptive management strategies.
This conversation and guided tour is free and open to everyone, though donations are gratefully accepted online at https://ignatiusguelph.ca/donate/ or on-site through the donation boxes.
We will meet at the Pavilion near the entrance at 53 Cross Creek Boulevard at 10am. Please dress for the weather and bring a hat, sunscreen, water, and bug spray as needed.
We do have a cap on the number of attendees to ensure parking will be available. If there is enough interest, we may offer a second session. For more information about the Ignatius Jesuit Centre and the Old-Growth Forest Project, please visit https://ignatiusguelph.ca/
Location: Ignatius Old-Growth Forest Project Pavilion, enter at 53 Cross Creek Boulevard and walk toward the meadow

Annual Downtown Tree Walk - How to read a tree's life story
2022-09-17 14:00 - 15:00 UTC | City Hall, 1 Carden St, Guelph, ON, Canada
Join us for a short tree walk in downtown Guelph with a focus on how to plant city trees for optimal health, success, and longevity. The walk will be approximately 1 hour with lots of time for questions. This event is suitable for all ages and fitness levels.

Rain date Sun. Sep. 18th at 2:00pm.

Meet in front of Guelph City Hall, 1 Carden St near the fountain.

Grandparents Day - Grandparent Pine Dedication Ceremony
2022-09-11 13:00 - 14:00 UTC | 51 Terraview Cres – entrance to Preservation Park, 51 Terraview Cres, Guelph, ON
Come out to honour this amazing White Pine tree in Preservation Park at 1:00 pm. A small ceremony and plague will be placed to award this tree with the 2021 Notable Tree Award. Come out to see this magnificent pine and hear the story about it.

As part of Grandparents day enjoy these other activities:

The proclamation, establishing National Grandparents Day stated three distinct purposes: To honor grandparents; To give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children’s children; To help children become aware of strength, information and guidance older people can offer.

All are invited to come to share their stories, plant a tree and take a short hike. This year we will congregate at The Turtle Island Education Centre, 343 Southgate Rd. Guelph where there will be maps and guides to lead you on short hikes to points of interest and events along Hanlon Creek.

Schedule of Events

8:00 AM “Traditional Water Ceremony”, Location: Crane Park

10:00 AM “The Story of Turtle Island”, Location: 343 Southgate Drive, Park Entrance

11:00 AM “Community Tree Plant”, Location: Tunnel (Ecoduct) at Expressway

11:00 AM “Tracking and Mapping (3 Words)”, Location: Marker Tree

11:00 AM “Settler History”, Location: 51 Terraview Cres, Park Entrance

1:00 PM “Grandparent Pine Dedication Ceremony”, Location: Grandparent Pine.

Henry Kock Stewardship Award Ceremony
2022-09-10 12:00 - 13:00 UTC | University of Guelph – Arboretum, 250 Arboretum Rd, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
Join us at the Arboretum Expo & Virtual Plant Sale Auction, (September 9th and 10th) where we will be honoring this years recipient of the Henry Kock Stewardship Award. This year, the Guelph Urban Forest Friends are thrilled to announce that Moritz Sanio will be the 2022 recipient.
Come out at noon for a brief ceremony and congratulate Moritz on a well-deserved award.

Nature Walk With A Forest Ecologist: Bird's Eye View
2022-06-18 11:00 - 12:30 UTC | Yorklands, 785 York Road, Guelph, ON, Canada
Will Barbour, forest ecologist, will discuss how to attract migrant birds and the principles of community restoration for biodiversity.
Meet at the front gate.
Park along the side of York Road near the front gate.
Saturday June 18 starts at 11am
785 York Road,Guelph

Nature Walk With A Forest Ecologist: The Woodlands of Guelph
2022-06-12 11:00 - 12:30 UTC | Yorklands, 785 York Road, Guelph, ON, Canada
Join forest ecologist: Will Barbour on a walk about Guelph’s past, present, and future woodlands.
Explore the impact of non-native trees versus native trees on our woodlands.
Meet at the front gate.
Park along York Road near the front gate.

Eastview Pollinator Park Planting Event
2022-06-11 10:00 - 12:00 UTC | Pollinator Park, 800 Watson Parkway North, Guelph, ON, Canada
Join us at the Eastview Pollinator Park on Saturday, June 11 from 10 am-12pm as we add about a hundred plants to a new demonstration garden. Then tour the site and get one of the best views in Guelph from the top of the former landfill site.
Pollinator Park Access, from 800 Watson Parkway North, Guelph

Annual Clean and Green
2022-04-30 | ON
Guelph’s annual spring clean up
Thanks to over 1,200 volunteers and numerous sponsors every year, our annual Clean and Green community clean up makes our parks and neighbourhoods more beautiful, and protects our rivers, streams, drinking water and local wildlife.
Register to help clean Guelph parks, trails and natural areas
Register for Clean and Green
Register for a park, trail or roadway of your choice and clean that area on April 30, leaving your garbage at the designated drop off site.
When you register, you can ask for garbage bags and gloves. Clean up kits are available for pick up at Victoria Road Recreation Centre on April 27 and 28. You supply your own masks and extra hands!

Celebrate Earth Day - Plant with Trees for Guelph
2022-04-22 09:00 - 17:00 UTC | Kortright Hills Community Park, 165 Milson Crescent, Guelph, ON, N1C 1G5, Canada
The location is at Kortright Hills Community Park. Parking is available on the streets near the trail access points between 117 and 121 Milson Crescent or near 50 Hazelwood Drive. A portable toilet will be available near the planting area.
We plant rain or shine or (hopefully not) snow.
Please wear sturdy footwear and layers of clothing that are comfortable to work have fun in. It is surprising how easily you can warm up when planting. Some people prefer to wear gloves while other planters enjoy the feeling of soil under their fingernails.
We recommend a water bottle and sunscreen if the day is just a little bit sunny. The sun can be very strong in early spring. Bring snacks too.

Pruning Workshop
2022-03-22 13:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York) | University of Guelph – Arboretum, 250 Arboretum Rd, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
Mask (medical grade or higher), proof of vaccination and screening required to attend this event.
This half-day indoor/outdoor practical workshop teaches the principles of easy and correct pruning in the home landscape. Participants learn how to choose the right equipment and how to keep it sharp and clean. Pruning techniques will be shown and practiced on a variety of shrubs and small trees.
Fee: $60 (plus HST) per person if booked before the early bird deadline of Monday, March 14, 2022. After the early bird deadline the fee is $70 (plus HST).

for more information: https://arboretum.uoguelph.ca/educationandevents/workshops
