June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada, and we celebrate the cultures and contributions of Indigenous Peoples, particularly their knowledge of maple syrup making. Additionally, a memorial grove for Ken Jewett was established, with a dedication event planned for summer.
By Peter Kuitenbrouwer for MLF ENEWS First Nations taught settlers how to get sweetener from a sugar maple tree The skill of how to tap sugar maple trees in Spring and boil the sap down into a sweetener is one of many crafts that the First Peoples taught to settlers in North America. Sugaring’s Indigenous origins takes up a chapter… READ MORE »Indigenous Origins of Sugaring
From Deb Pella Keen: On May 27, I was honoured to be part of the Ontario Envirothon championship as a judge on the final day. Almost 500 students from 70 schools participated in competitions in the lead up to the provincial championship held at the University of Waterloo. Congratulations to the top ranking teams: Every year, the provincial competition celebrates the… READ MORE »2026 Ontario Envirothon
As winter begins to loosen its hold, subtle signs of seasonal change emerge across the landscape. One of the most telling is the appearance of “thaw circles” — rings of melted snow that form around the base of trees. These patterns occur as darker tree bark absorbs the sun’s energy more readily than the surrounding snow, radiating heat outward and… READ MORE »Spring 2026 Update from Deb Pella-Keen: “Thaw circles” and Mulmur Tree Memorial
For more than eight years, Maple Leaves Forever (MLF) has been an integral supporter of the Ontario Envirothon. It’s a unique program which engages high school students in environmental learning through hands-on training in resource management practices and technologies. Students are challenged to apply scientific knowledge and creativity to real-world environmental issues. Hosted annually by Forests Canada, the 2026 competition will reach… READ MORE »Maple Leaves Forever proudly sponsors Ontario Envirothon 2026
Clearview Nursery Ltd.Address: 8257 County Road 91 RR4 Stayner, ON L0M1S0 MAPPhone: (705) 428-0063Email: sales@clearviewnursery.comWebsite: clearviewnursery.comFacebook: facebook.com/clearviewnurseryltd Over the last 30 years, Clearview Nursery has built a reputation for producing high-quality plant material and landscape supplies, steadily evolving to meet the needs of both wholesale and retail clients across the Southern Georgian Bay region. Established in 1996 by Kevin and Gail Elwood, the nursery began… READ MORE »Nursery Spotlight: Clearview Nursery celebrates 30 years
Our Executive director, Deb Pella Keen, had a great conversation sharing all about Maple Leaves Forever and our mission with Hugh Kruzel on the February 21st Episode of his QOL “Quality of life” Radio program/Podcast for Sudbury’s CKLU 96.7 FM. Excerpt: HUGH: One of the things Deb that has made me very sad is when I visit perhaps third generation farms… READ MORE »Maple Leaves Forever featured on Quality of Life (QOL) Podcast
A Winter Message from Executive Director Deb Pella Keen As we begin 2026, we extend a warm Happy New Year to our Maple Leaves Forever community. We closed 2025 with the sad loss of our founder, Ken Jewett, at the age of 95. We are deeply grateful for the many kind notes, shared memories, and donations received in his honour.… READ MORE »Happy New Year- Moving forward with Maple Leaves Forever
A Family Rooted in Trees, Tradition, and Three Generations When Paul Richardson talks about trees, he does it the way some people talk about family—warmly, proudly, and with a lifetime of stories tucked into the spaces between sentences. That makes sense. For Paul, family and forestry have always grown together. Pineneedle Farms is officially a third-generation enterprise—a legacy that began… READ MORE »Nursery Spotlight: Pineneedle Farms Inc.
Maple Leaves Forever team members Deb Pella Keen (Executive Director) and Mary Bella (Marketing Manager) attended the 2026 LO Congress last week! It was a great opportunity to connect with some of our nursery partners in person, and learn about their successes and challenges over the past year. We were also pleased to see Trees for Life, an organization of… READ MORE »2026 Landscape Ontario Congress: January 6 – 8, 2026
