Category Archives: Urban Forest
Back to the Forest Conference CUFC 10
Registration is now Open!
Please Check the Site and Register at http://www.cufc10.ca/
Tree Canada and the City of London, in partnership with the Ontario Urban Forest Council and the Society of Municipal Arborists, is hosting the 10th Canadian Urban Forest Conference in London, Ontario October 2nd – 4th.
London, The Forest City, has a long history of progressive and innovative forest management. With over 80% of Canadians living in urban areas, London will provide a focus for Canadian urban forest practices and allow a dialogue with professional and community groups on urban forest strategies, policies,technologies and management practices.
With an international airport and direct train links to Toronto, London The Forest City, has a long history of progressive and innovative forest management. With over 80% of Canadians living in urban areas, London is excited to provide a focus for Canadian urban forest practices, while allowing for a dialogue with professional and community groups on urban forest strategies, policies, technologies and management practices.
Program and Conference details will be updated at. www.cufc10.ca.
The conference will include:
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A strategic urban forest workshop and quality local, national and international presenters
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Field tours of London’s urban forest and Canada’s unique Carolinian Forest
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A banquet and gala event marking Tree Canada’s 20th anniversary
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Networking and dialoguing opportunities with Canadian urban forest leaders
EARLY REGISTRATION
if received by JUNE 30, 2012 – 15% Discount
on entire purchase
Thunder Bay Recognizes Importance of Urban Forest
Urban forest management plan suggest city be proactive in tree maintenance
By Leith Dunick,
The city’s trees are a valuable commodity that need to be protected and nurtured, says the author of a study looking at Thunder Bay’s urban forest management strategy.
“Thunder Bay has room to improve,” said Skip Kincaid of the Davey Resource Group. “Every city has room to improve their urban forest program. But in terms of the budget that they’re dealing with here, I think they’re doing an excellent job.
In terms of net value, city-owned trees are worth about $851,000 to the economy each year, after the $700,000 cost to maintain them is factored into the equation.
They also remove 13,525 kilograms of pollutants from the air, retain 78,606 cubic metres of storm water runoff from city sewers and reduce carbon dioxide levels by 2.5 million kilograms annually.
Current River Coun. Andrew Foulds said while he knew public trees were valuable, seeing an actual number attached was a bit shocking.
“The magnitude surprised me and I was really intrigued by the model (Kincaid) presented to quantify how valuable they are because it is much more then that tree is beautiful,” Foulds said.
Utimately he’d like to see the city, which spends three-tenths of a per cent of its annual budget on forestry management, create a healthy, sustainable urban forest that adds to the economic, social and environmental vitality of the city.
“Frankly, I knew we were on the low end of investment in urban forest, but I didn’t think we were that low,” Foulds said. “I was surprised. We saw the cost-benefit analysis, the two-for-one, and I guess what I’m going to be looking for is what is the appropriate investment to maximize that cost-benefit analysis, to maximize our storm-water management, to maximize our aesthetics, to maximize our energy.
“In the last five years the number of trees removed by the City of Thunder Bay has exceeded the number of trees planted by the City of Thunder Bay,” he said. “If the trend continues it doesn’t bode well.”
Excerpt from http://www.tbnewswatch.com/news/187725/Urban-forest-management-plan-suggest-city-be-proactive-in-tree-maintenance
Guelph sets the Tree Canopy Bar Higher
City of Guelph sets ambitious tree-canopy target
Original estimates of Guelph’s tree canopy in the 2007 Urban Forest Management Plan suggested that Guelph’s tree canopy coverage was 30 per cent, but new estimates suggest the tree canopy is much smaller at roughly 20 per cent.
The 2011 report by Urban Forest Innovations Inc. and Beacon Environmental states that discrepancies in the two studies and loss in wooded natural areas is due to loss of aging canopy, storms, as well as the use of older data sets and different methodologies, which previously assumed 100 per cent canopy coverage for all wooded areas.
“The City of Guelph’s goal is to have the highest tree canopy coverage among comparable communities,” said Guelph Mayor Karen Farbridge, adding that the findings will help the city make decisions on how to maintain and enhance Guelph’s urban forest.
The city hopes to reach 40 per cent canopy coverage by 2020……………..
Urban Forest Exhibition- Bytown Museum
The Bytown museum is presenting a retrospective exhibit exploring the history of urban forestry in Ottawa. Early street tree planting, digital mapping of Ottawa’s tree canopy since the 1920′s, artifacts and tools will all be part of the exhibit.
Curated by Carleton professor Joanna Dean and graduate student Will Knight. The exhibit will run from Jan 24- May27, 2012. Made possible with funding from the Network in Canadian History and Environment (NICHE), a Jack Kimmell grant form the Canadian Tree fund, and Carleton University. http://www.bytownmuseum.com/EN/exhibits.html
2011 Spreading Roots Conference Recap.
If you haven’t already done so please don’t miss our Summary of the 2011 Conference Spreading Roots in partnership with Toronto Botanical Gardens. This will take you to the presentation links for speakers whose presentations have been made available.
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