Protection
Norway maple, an invasive tree species, has increased its tree canopy cover from about 10 per cent in 1970s to about 40 per cent in 2017.
– Toronto Ravines Study: 1977-2017
UFORA helps individual homeowners, community groups and professionals protect the urban forests and natural habitats of southern Ontario. This includes tree protection plans, invasive species control and ravine stewardship plans. We develop site-specific plans that meet the desires and budgets of our clients, and provide ongoing maintenance work afterward. When carrying out protection projects, we follow the Forest Gene Conservation Association of Ontario guidelines for local and appropriate native seed sources of our planting stock. We grow some of our own, from Toronto seed sources.
Restoration
Looking at restoration of native urban vegetation, one finds that the benefits to this are well-documented. Urban forests with higher rates of native biodiversity tend to be more resilient to disturbance – that is, they have a higher capacity to resist damage and recover from disturbance events
– Folke et al. 2004
At UFORA, we believe that ecological restoration is the key to bringing back Toronto’s healthy urban forests. We have worked on hundreds of large restoration projects in and around the city, including Ministry of Transportation lands such as Leslie/401 and Victoria Park/401 Interchanges, private properties such as Weston Golf and Country Club in Toronto, and public parks like Downsview Park and Sir Winston Churchill Park – to name a few.
