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.
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
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 Fall Message from Maple Leaves Forever Executive Director, Deb Pella Keen Fall is when our native Canadian Maple truly shines, putting on a spectacular display of colour. However, the warm, dry summer—and ongoing drought conditions in some areas—may have stressed certain trees, potentially affecting the timing and intensity of the colour change. Currently, Muskoka is reporting about 30–40% colour… READ MORE »An Autumn of Many Milestones
A Summer Message from Deb Pella Keen, MLF Executive Director Our spring newsletter was delivered to your inbox while a major ice storm was being experienced across south-central Ontario and into Quebec. The March 29-30 ice storm had accumulations of up to 30 mm and was immediately followed by northwest winds gusting to 50 km/hr, which also helped contribute to the damage… READ MORE »Post-Ice Storm Tree Care & Ontario Evirothon: Summer Update from Deb Pella Keen
We hope you are managing this roller coaster transition from winter to spring! While this is somewhat normal for this time of year – here in Central Ontario, we have seen lows of -20oC and highs of +18oC within days of each other! On top of that, a significant ice storm event this past weekend affected a region of southern Ontario… READ MORE »Spring update from Deb Pella Keen, MLF Executive Director
