Parks would be nothing without our unbe-leaf-able foliage!
In celebration of National Tree Day, we’ve compiled a few ways for you to celebrate our wonderful woody friends:
~
Support parks with tree-themed merch
Did you know that 100% of the proceeds from all store purchases are reinvested into parks, protecting the lands and waters you love — that includes forests, of course!
While our online store features unique merchandise for all park-lovers, you’ll definitely be pine-ing over these picks:
- My Roots Flannel (pictured above)
- My Roots T-shirt – Kids (pictured above)
- My Roots Toque
- My Roots Long Sleeve (pictured below)
- My Roots 1/4 Zip
~
Volunteer
Friends of Ontario Parks are independent, not-for-profit charitable organizations.
Each Friends group is dedicated to supplementing and enhancing the unique educational, recreational, and resource protection mandates of the parks they are affiliated with.
Many park visitors will be familiar with the valuable work Friends do to make their Ontario Parks experiences more enjoyable. This includes reforestation projects and tree planting.
Interested in joining your local Friends Group? Check out our Friends webpage.
Try forest bathing
Picture this: you’re alone, deep into a forested trail. Your only companions are the birds fluttering from branch to branch around you. As you walk, you follow a corridor made of pillars of ancient trees, and smell the earthy aroma of moss and damp leaves.
How do you feel? It’s hard to describe, but the words that may immediately come to mind are calm, peaceful, and contemplative. You feel a deep-rooted connection to the world around you, and you are reminded of the importance of our natural environment.
There’s a word for that feeling: waldeinsamkeit.
Looking to achieve this wonderful feeling? Check out our guide to forest bathing!
~
Tree-t them with kindness
Odds are if you’ve taken a walk in a forest, you’ve seen someone’s names or initials carved into a tree.
These trees are not your canvas. In fact, by carving your initials, you’re removing the tree’s defense to countless pathogens that can kill it.
We don’t mean to get sappy, but trees are our friends and deserve our respect! Please don’t hurt them with axes, nails, or any other sort of carving.
(Bonus: if you’re hammocking, please bring wide straps or belts instead.)
~
Learn about these important habitats
Have you ever come across a fallen log in the forest and wondered: “why don’t park staff move this unsightly sight?”. Although they might not be picture-perfect, dead trees are integral to a forest’s health.
Learn more about why we leave dead trees in the forest.
Not only do they provide habitat when fallen over, trees also provide habitat when they’ve been washed ashore as well as much needed stability to beach environments.
Learn more about why driftwood matters and how driftwood shapes shorelines.
~
