London, known for its rich forests since its early days, has earned the title of Forest City. This year, it was officially named Canada’s forest capital by the Canadian Institute of Forestry.
Every year, the Canadian Institute of Forestry recognizes areas across Canada for their “leadership in forest conservation, environmental stewardship and sustainable forest management.”
London, Ont., is now the first major urban center to receive this honor as the country’s forest capital.
“I’m impressed with the amount of trees planted by Londoners,” said James Voogt, a geography professor at Western University.
The city boasts seven million public and private trees. Within London’s urban growth boundary, tree cover accounts for about 27 percent of the area.
London oversees 290 woodland areas and 21 Environmentally Significant Areas that span both private and public land and include “wetlands, forests and meadows.”
This recognition will be celebrated with various events throughout the year, such as tree giveaways, “treevnings,” and conventions focusing on trees’ significance, climate resilience, sustainability, and activities aimed at engaging youth.
According to city officials, these events will encourage Londoners and local organizations to appreciate and contribute to the city’s forests.
“Trees are important for the larger-scale climate and local urban climate to keep individuals cooler,” noted Voogt.
London aims to boost its tree cover from 27 percent to 34 percent by 2065.
The city is committed to this goal by planting new trees, maintaining existing ones, caring for parks and trails, and addressing challenges like storms or pests.
Western has been caring for trees through its Sherwood Fox Arboretum since 1981.
The arboretum nurtures trees and shrubs on Western’s campus which now includes more than 3,000 individual trees. It was founded by William Sherwood Fox who was a journalist writing about plants and fishing.
Fox played a key role in enhancing London’s plant diversity before human activities gradually diminished it over time.
Western University’s Tree Dashboard lets students explore native species as well as commemorative and donated trees throughout campus. The dashboard uses data from live trees to show details when a point on a map is selected.
Western’s sustainable impact fund worked together with London three years ago to host Western’s first-ever Forest City Tree Festival.
The event was organized by Western’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives where volunteers planted sugar maple trees around the Wampum Learning Lodge – dedicated to Canada’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.
“It will take everyone in society to ensure we maintain a greener environment. We can’t do it on our own. Trees will always be a challenge to increase; I don’t see London facing an issue with fewer trees anytime soon,” said Voogt.
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