As the leaves turn and continue to fall, Western PhD candidate Brendon Samuels believes it’s a “great time to be talking about trees.” And as coordinator of the Forest City Tree Festival, he’s been working with community groups to get the dialogue started.  The festival, hosted by Western, runs Oct. 4 to 6.   Planned activities include guided hikes, panel discussions, tree planting, and a native plant and seed exchange.   Supported by the Western Sustainable Impact Fund* and run in collaboration with the City of London, ReForest London and the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority, Samuels said the festival is “all about celebrating the important role trees and forests play in our lives.”  The event will also provide opportunities to learn about the state of the urban forest in London, Ont. and share ways community members can get involved in tree planting and environmental stewardship efforts.   “Many people really care about trees and they’re a big part of London’s identity as the ‘forest city,’” Samuels said. “We also know trees provide a lot of benefits, from food security to shade to improved well-being. There are a lot of ways having a healthy tree canopy in our city makes life better.”  Guided walks will take place through the Medway Valley Heritage Forest, along the Thames Valley Parkway and at Grosvenor Lodge. Most events (see full listing below) require advance registration. Panel discussions cover careers in arboriculture, growing the urban understory and the health of London’s urban forest.  Samuels hopes the festival will help Londoners think about trees in a more “integrative and relational way,” better appreciating the connections trees have to people and to the natural elements around them, such as soil and ground cover. “These are aspects of our urban canopy we tend to take for granted, but we really need to pay attention to those elements and there’s a lot of things people can do at home to help support a healthy urban forest,” he said.

Forest City Tree Festival highlights

Friday, Oct. 4: Working with trees The festival opens with a keynote address by arborist Julie Tucker, executive director and CEO of the Ontario chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. Tucker will discuss her personal journey from tree planting to coordinating arborist training programs. She’ll also cover the different career opportunities in arboriculture and the important role skilled professionals play in the forestry industry.  A panel discussion later in the day, with representatives from Tree Canada, the City of London Urban Forestry and Fanshawe College, will outline how students can access support for projects related to trees, a new training program dedicated to sustainable seed collection and the different types of careers available in the urban forestry sector.  Saturday, Oct. 5: TreeCycle, native seed and plant swap  The main community event of the festival takes place in the parking lot of Westminster Hall (361 Windermere Rd.) and will feature information and activity booths, a food truck and live music. ReForest London will be hosting its fall TreeCycle event, where the public can donate any unwanted, non-invasive trees and contribute to the organization’s Million Tree Challenge.  “People can bring in native tree seedlings (12 inches minimum) from their property in labelled pots and be eligible for a $10 tax receipt for each tree,” Samuels said.   Bird Friendly London will also be hosting a native plant and seed exchange, offering free plants through a lottery system.   Sunday, Oct. 6: Indigenous-led planting workshop at the Wampum Learning Lodge  In this event, led by Western’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives, volunteers will plant sugar maple trees around the Wampum Learning Lodge, dedicated to Canada’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. They will also plant a variety of Indigenous perennial plants in the lodge’s food and medicine garden. Lunch will be provided by Bear’s Kitchen. 

Why Western? 

With its mature trees and an array of natural areas, including the Thames River, Medway Creek and remnant woodlots along the river corridors, Western provides an ideal backdrop for the festival.   As a research-intensive university, Samuels said Western also plays a key role in providing the public education piece of the event.  “With Western providing the setting, we’re able to reach into the campus community to access supports, from the use of lecture halls on campus to learning from Indigenous knowledge keepers at the Wampum Learning Lodge,” he said.   He also pointed to research at Western tied to trees, as well as Campus as a Living Lab initiatives including live stake planting along Medway Creek for climate resiliency and buckthorn removal in the Huron Fields.  “I think it’s important to share this research more broadly, within our community,” Samuels said. “I hope in the future, there will be more opportunities like this to share teaching activities and research at Western with the public.  “With its focus on sustainability and biodiversity, and through our strategic plan, Western has an exciting opportunity to become even more of a hub and leader when it comes to organizing around our urban forest and helping to serve the needs of our community. Western also is playing a role by helping to prepare students for careers and opportunities in maintaining our forest and in co-existing with nature.”  ***  Most events require advance registration. See schedule above. For more information or for special accommodations, contact Brendon Samuels.   *The Western Sustainable Impact Fund (WSIF), which offers $1 million in project grants annually, is now accepting proposals for a second year. The WSIF encourages projects that align with the sustainability objectives outlined in Western’s Strategic Plan. The President’s Advisory Committee on the Environment and Sustainability identified this fund as a vital resource for championing innovative, high-impact on-campus projects that address sustainability concerns and to foster a sense of engagement amongst the campus community. The application period for this round of funding opens Oct. 21 and closes Nov.18, 2024. The WSIF is open to all Western student, staff, and faculty members. All proposals must have support from a Western University faculty or staff leader.