June has brought summer in full force.  It prompts the question: “Have you watered your planted trees yet?”  Newly planted trees can really benefit from a good deep watering at least once a week in this weather. 

We are pleased to announce a new partnership with One Bench One Tree, a grassroots project dedicated to expressing gratitude to front-line workers and other healthcare staff during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of the project is to add at least one bench and one tree to the landscape of hospitals across Canada to thank the workers who put their lives at risk to keep our communities safe during the pandemic.  Their first location is at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, Ontario. Sunnybrook received the first COVID-19 patient in Canada in January 2020. We are pleased to be part of this ambitious thank you to front line workers by providing a Native Canadian sugar Maple for this first site.  More info: www.1bench1tree.ca.

I hope you will enjoy the article on the history of roadside maples that we are publishing in a three-part series.  It truly highlights the Native Maple’s natural and cultural history in Ontario!  Click here to read the first in the series.

On June 12, I spoke with the members of the Aurora Arboretum at their Annual General Meeting.  They will be creating a “maple tree alley” at the Arboretum that will include all maple trees native to Ontario as specimens for visitors to learn about. 

And finally, a call out to my good friend, Ray Bonenberg, founding partner in Mapleside, a maple syrup producer in Pembroke Ontario.  He has been inducted to the International Maple Hall of Fame, for his decades-long work and leadership within the North American maple syrup industry.  Congratulations Ray, a well deserved recognition!  Check out Ray’s operation at www.mapleside.ca. Read the article about Ray in the Pembroke Observer.

• Deb Pella Keen, Executive Director, Maple Leaves Forever