Maple Leaves Forever participated in the Huronia Woodlot Owners Association’s annual meeting held in Elmvale on November 18th.

Past-president of the Association, Bruce Keeling welcomed and introduced Ken Jewett to the members, giving them a short biography of Ken’s business experience and the origins of Maple Leaves Forever. The Association has planted 18,000 native maples since it was formalized in 1971. The financial support of Maple Leaves Forever has led to increased numbers being planted in recent years.

Ken Jewett, Founder of Maple Leaves Forever receives White Pine Award from Mike O’Hara, President of Hurontario Woodlot Owners Assocation

He thanked Ken for Maple Leaves Forever’s generous donation to a scholarship program initiated by the Huronia Woodlot Owners Association that supports local students in their educational ambitions.

Mike O’Hara, president of the Association, presented Ken with the prestigious White Pine Award in recognition of the Maple Leaves Forever’s continued support of their Native Maples planting program that is restoring sugar maple trees to the roadsides and laneways of Simcoe county and surrounding area.

In accepting the award, Ken encouraged the Association to “Keep up the Good Work and Spread the Word. Climate Change is happening now. Planting trees helps maintain nature’s diversity, reduces erosion and helps to clean the air we breathe.”

View from the top – Clearwater Farm

Early garlic sprouts

On October 28th, Ken Jewett and Maple Leaves Forever travelled to the York Region to participated in an event at the Clearwater Farm in Georgina, on the edge of Lake Simcoe.

The Farm is a community-based social enterprise that provides educational opportunities, demonstrates the wise use of water  and field-to-fork organic farming principles. It is the flagship of the Ontario Water Centre.

Organic food grown on the farm

Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell also took in the open house event that showcased the farm. One hundred and fifty native maple trees were planted on the property in 2017 in recognition of Canada’s sesquicentennial, supported in  part by generous funding from Maple Leaves Forever.

For more information about the Clearwater Farm and the Ontario Water Centre visit their websites  at  www.clearwaterfarminfo.ca and www.ontariowatercentre.ca.

Photos courtesy  Clearwater Farm.

While visiting several of our nursery partners last week, Maple Leaves Forever stopped in Pelham to visit an “old friend”.

The Comfort Maple lives in a small parkette that can be found just off Metler Rd in Pelham. It grows on a small part of the land purchased by the Comfort family in 1816 and much later entrusted to the Niagara Region Conservation Authority to preserve and protect its historic and biological significance.

Ken believes this tree is truly an example of Darwin’s magic at work. Witness the seed he holds in his hand.

(Click photos to enlarge.)

Mini maple saplings ready to take home – Mill Pond, Ontario

Maple Leaves Forever supported the World Wildlife Fund’s annual “Kids’ Run for Nature” this past June, by donating mini maple saplings for participants to take home and plant. We recently received this note from WWF Canada.

“This June you helped us bring the 3^rd annual Kids’ Run for Nature to 8 parks in 6 cities across 2 provinces. We engaged 1102 runners and their families, 200 volunteers and raised $60,000 for wildlife & habitats.

Our sponsors, including you, are so important to the success of this event. Without your support, we would not be able to provide families with such an engaging and fulfilling experience. Thank You!

We had a great response to the sugar maples from participants who took them home. In the densely-populated Toronto locations we had some families who did not have the yard space for such (potentially) large trees so we gave the extra maples, along with the branded cards and care instructions, to the Toronto Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) to distribute at the Mill Pond Splash event, and a teacher at a Toronto special needs schools who wanted to plant them with her students.”

We were very proud to be a part of this event!

MLF sponsored saplings – Mill Pond, Ontario

Proud participant – Mill Pond, Ontario

Sponsor Board – Port Hope, Ontario

MLF Sponsored Saplings – Withrow, Ontario

On April 20th, the Barrie Rotary Club presented Maple Leaves Forever and its founder Ken Jewett with the Charlie Wilson Environmental Award  for 2017 in recognition of their contribution to the environment.

During his recent Thank You address to the Barrie Rotarians, Ken donated a Native Sugar Maple tree to the chapter, with the request that it be planted in the Veterans Park at the Tiffen Centre west of Barrie.

Maple Leaves Forever purchased a 425 cm (12 ft) sugar maple tree from a local nursery and arranged for its delivery to the Tiffen Centre. The tree was planted close to a gazebo located along the trail that wanders through the Afghanistan Veterans Park.

We visited the park recently and took a photo of the tree to share. All is well!

Sugar maple tree planted in Afghanistan Veterans Park near Tiffen Centre West of Barrie

On June 9th, 2015, the National Capital Commission (NCC) and Maple Leaves Forever Foundation planted a commemorative Native Canadian Sugar Maple tree in Major Hill Park, in full view of Canada’s Parliament buildings.

The tree was planted to commemorate the NCC’s proclamation:

When a planting on NCC lands calls for a maple tree, it will be a native Canadian maple tree.

We’re pleased to report that when we visited Ottawa on the weekend, we found the tree thriving in Major Hill Park!

At the 2015 planting event. L to R: Dr. Mark Kristmanson CEO-NCC; Russell Mills; MP David Tilson; Ken Jewett, Founder of Maple Leaves Forever.

Commemorative maple tree after planting in 2015

Commemorative plaque

Commemorative maple tree now – 2 years later!

Write-up and Photography by Carl Mansfield, Arboreal Consultant, Maple Leaves Forever
Editing and layout by Mary Bella, Webmaster & Communications, Maple Leaves Forever

As Ottawa celebrates Canada’s 150th birthday, special projects are being implemented  to leave a lasting legacy for future generations.

Engraving on Commemorative Rock.

At a tree planting ceremony held on the Lisgar Street lawn, Ottawa City Hall, on Sunday June 4th, Mayor  Jim Watson announced a special initiative for the City of Ottawa that includes the planting of a grove of 150 Native Canadian Maples in each of Ottawa’s 23 wards.

The tree species to be planted include sugar, red and silver maples. Many of the groves were planted this spring, while others will be planted in the fall, between mid-September and mid-October.

The city, Tree Canada, the federal government, CN and Lee Valley funded the project. Tree Canada received financial support through the Canada 150 fund to complete 150 community greening initiatives across Canada. CN donated the sugar maple tree used to commemorate the Ottawa event. An engraved stone marks the location of the tree planting.

Maple Leaves Forever was amongst the guests invited to attend the official unveiling of the Project. It was recognized for its continued contribution to the City of Ottawa’s tree planting programs with a representative of Maple Leaves Forever present in the audience.

Community members, local dignitaries, several delegates from The Federation of Canadian Municipalities, representatives from the National Capital Commission and a theatre group dressed in Confederation era costume joined in the event.

Actors in Confederation era dress.

Mayor Jim Watson (speaking) with other event speakers.

Mayor Jim Watson (left) and event speakers “tossing some dirt”.

Fathers of Confederation actors posing with Federation of Canadian Municipalities plaque presented to the City of Ottawa June 4th