Earlier this spring we asked our readers to send us their favourite tree stories and pictures and here are the results!
Janice:
When they first came to Canada in the 1840s, my family got rid of all the trees they could as quickly as they could. Burning and chopping down trees sounds shocking to us now, but it was the early days of Canada and my land-hungry ancestors needed to get rid of the trees to create the farmland they needed to survive.
Over 120 years late,r my father decided to rectify the resulting treelessness. In parts of the farm, the land was steep and unusable, and he decided to replant trees on the hillside. His decision was made easier as saplings were either free or pennies apiece, and he had free labour: my mom, my brother, my sister and me.
During many springs in the 1960s we planted thousands of trees over several days. At the time, when I was young, it seemed like back-breaking work – although I was only carrying buckets of trees to my family so they could plant without stopping. The saplings seemed like nothing but tiny weeds, but they survived to grow into a huge forest.
Years later, when my children wanted to go to their auntie’s house via a forest trail, they were afraid of the trees and the quiet shadows inside. I assured them that they were friendly giants, and so the forest was dubbed the ‘friendly forest’. Today the forest belongs to someone else, but they love it as much as we did. In fact, it has been officially designated a ‘heritage forest’ to protect it.
We work so hard to create legacies for ourselves when really, it’s so simple a child could do it – and did. Plant a tree, and then another one, until a forest stands.
I am very proud to work for a company that recognizes the value of trees and is happy to provide support for reforestation. We talk endlessly these days about trees and their importance, so it’s easy to forget how simple it really is to plant a tree and watch a forest grow. But by creating these legacies we ensure that others can stop on a hot summer’s day in the cool stillness and meet the friendly giants.
Natalie:
Who doesn’t want to live on a tree lined street? Apparently I’m not alone in this desire so when a young tree got uprooted by storm winds we were determined to put it back in its rightful spot.
“Bon Temps”:
Here we are prepping the ground for a pear tree. I have a lot of fond memories of the fruit trees in my backyard growing up that I wanted to continue the tradition with my own family.
Sylvia:
A very good friend of mine lost her beloved Mom early this year and dug up her Mom’s favourite tree. It took her all day but she was determined. She brought it home to her place and planted it in her backyard where she could look at it every day and think of her Mom. I was so honoured that she shared this with me, I cried all afternoon.
“Jay Tee”:
Here is a pic of my girls planting their first tree. Well, I did assist them a little by digging the hole! It was part of a community green thumb effort. And now every time they pass the tree, they shout ‘Hello’ to it and comment about how it’s grown.
Soraya:
We had the smallest backyard…. Being tree lovers, we had to fill the space. We planted two hazelnut trees, one apple, one peach, one pear, and one cherry. Their yard must have been 20ftx 20ft. (That small!!). To ice the cake, [my parents] put in an all season pond. I grew up in that house and now I take my kids to visit and play in the yard… it’s even more fun when they get to pick organic fruits and nuts 
. I even have an avocado tree growing in my downtown condo!
Lilly:
Okay, so it’s hard to see but I am planting a tiny sapling. My school organized the planting and you had to sign up on your on time if you wanted to help out. No extra credit or anything. I am proud to say that there was a great turnout and now I am even more appreciative of all the trees around me.
Jenn:
These two trees when planted were saplings no bigger then a foot. 8 years later they are as tall as me. That does not say much unless you are a tree.
Jennifer :
Here is a picture of my favourite tree in our yard. My son loves to climb it and decorate it for every occasion.
Clare:
Our lovely Marley enjoying the outcome of our apple tree planting we’ve been doing for a few years since a hurricane ripped away our old ones. She enjoys being out in the sun with us and chewing on some of the apple. She never eats enough of it to reach the seeds, though, which is good since they aren’t good for consumption. When we first moved to Canada, there were hardly any trees in our area… now, there are more and more every year and many critters have made homes in our yard now that there are extra places to live and take shelter.
