The following submission comes from Leslie Daniels:
Trees with Heritage will be the topic shared by experts in the field, sponsored by the Thorold Garden Club at Holy Rosary Hall on April 17.
Starting at 7 p.m., Edith George of the Ontario Urban Forest Council and Peter Wynnyczuk, Ontario Representative of Tree Canada, will talk about heritage trees in our community.
A lone person can champion the protection of heritage trees and be successful, according to George’s website. A member of the Ontario Urban Forest Council, she created a power-point presentation geared to adults and children alike, showing them how to find heritage trees and take protective action. She selected a 250-plus-year-old red oak found in her neighbour’s back yard and demonstrates how to assess heritage value. She takes her light-and-sound show on the road responding to requests from a variety of individuals and communities.
“I am quick to admit my passion for heritage trees with an illustrated talk of five varied venues to museums, churches, historical societies, high school students and even Royal Canadian Legions,” said George. “I travel all over the province of Ontario and answer the questions, ‘What is a heritage tree?’ and ‘Why is it important to protect them?’ using the Heritage Tree toolkit.
There are several categories of requirements in determining whether a tree is worthy of heritage tree recognition and I touch on all of them in the presentation. As a former Director on the Board of the Weston Historical Society and presently an Advisor to the Ontario Urban Forest Council, my expertise is in the Social Category, which includes historical and cultural significance.
"Using my neighbourhood’s great red oak as my example tree, I combine my passion of local history and conservation in a presentation titled, ‘Heritage Tree – Preserving Our Natural Roots.’ As more people learn about the importance of our natural roots, they’ll understand the need for identifying and preserving this special part of our history that is often overlooked and even taken for granted.”
An Ontario Representative of Tree Canada, Wynnyczuk has been involved in urban forestry for more than 35 years in many capacities, from arborist to urban forestry supervisor in both the private and municipal fields. He has helped foster local tree awareness and enhancement through various programs, and participates in improving safety and awareness in the urban tree profession through various urban forestry committees. Recently, he has been honoured to accept the position of executive director of the Ontario Urban Forest Council, helping to continue the aims and goals of the organization founded in 1963. This year, Wynnyczuk founded P & A Urban Forestry Consulting Ltd., and looks forward to expanding the support of trees in our communities.
Holy Rosary Hall is located at 35 Queen St. South in Thorold.
