On a warm July evening, community members in Thorncliffe Park gathered for a guided tree walk. 

With over two decades of experience in urban forestry, Todd Irvine from City Forest has led many walking tours all over Toronto. TEA organized the walk with local groups Thorncliffe Park Urban Farmers and Don Valley West for Environmental Action. 

As we strolled through the neighbourhood, Todd shared fascinating facts about the trees in the area — from their species and age to how much canopy coverage exists in the neighbourhood today. 

We talked about how trees help reduce the impact of extreme heat, the importance of protecting existing green space, and how residents can get involved in local greening efforts. 

We visited the vibrant community garden maintained by the Thorncliffe Park Urban Farmers and local residents, which has turned grass and pavement into valuable gardens to feed the local community. Participants learned about the fruit trees planted in the area, the care they require, and how these gardens strengthen food security and community connections in the neighbourhood.

It was a lively evening filled with knowledge-sharing, intergenerational learning, and community pride.

We'll connect with residents and groups across the city to host walks and to guide our work at City Hall to advocate for more investment into Toronto’s urban forest. 

So far, through our work we’ve been able to secure some important wins to help green and cool our city!

These include:

• Over $1.5 million in extra funding in the City’s 2025 budget to water, mulch, and plant young trees, which we will need to keep us cool in the future
• Over $500,000 in extra funding for Toronto’s Green Streets program, which means more trees and rainwater absorbing plants along streets and sidewalks for flood protection and cooling
• Commitments to improve tree maintenance and tree protection practices to keep the mature trees we have strong and healthy for many years to come
• Commitments for new stormwater incentives to green and floodproof private properties

You can learn more about our partner groups here:

Todd Irvine, Arborist, City Forest

Website: https://www.cityforest.ca/

Thorncliffe Park Urban Farmers

Website: https://thorncliffeparkurbanfarmers.ca/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thorncliffepark_urbanfarmers/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThorncliffeParkUrbanFarmers/

Don Valley West for Environmental Action

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/719193737140622/

To learn more, email: [email protected]

The Tree Walk was featured on the Green Line on City TV.  You can find it here.

Please make sure to follow TEA’s e-newsletters for opportunities to join future walks and take action to support new investments in our urban forest!