We are a community-led action group for respectful development and urban tree preservation and protection. Helping trees survive and thrive is our mission.
If you care about trees and urban forests in your community, let us know
Click here to learn more about the Community Trees Matter Network
The Community Trees Matter Network came together out of a desire to bring more voices together in support for our urban trees and forests and to find out what resources and information we can share.
Thanks to a Greater Victoria Acting Together listening campaign hosted by the Sierra Club late this past summer, a number of us were introduced to share our interest and passion for trees. What we found was that each of us has some knowledge about trees, municipal planning processes and a desire to protect, preserve and see the planting of more trees. To avoid duplication of efforts, we have started the Community Trees Matter Network.
We have grown into a volunteer, citizen-led coalition of people who value urban trees and want to work with regional municipal authorities to ensure more is done to protect, preserve, and plant and maintain trees to ensure they survive and thrive.
In collaboration with the Creatively United for the Planet non-profit society, we host our information within the CreativelyUnited.org website. This community social sharing network allows individuals and organizations wanting to connect, share, and collaborate to post, free-of-charge, information, upcoming events, notices, stories and photos.
Our hope is that through our combined efforts we can help support projects that involve trees. We have found councils and mayors very responsive. A number of us have presented to Victoria City Council, Saanich Council and Esquimalt Council.
Victories include: Victoria council and mayor agreeing to explore other site options for the Crystal Pool project that don’t involve cutting established trees and destroying adjacent park space, plus forward movement on implementation of the 2013 Urban Forest Management Plan and tree preservation bylaw updates; support for saving mature trees on Grange Road in Saanich; and Haro Woods finally receiving more protection.
We have had interviews on the CBC, CHEK TV, plus many letters published by the Victoria News and the Times-Colonist. Creatively United has been sharing our information to their mailing list of 5,000+ people, providing updates to the website, and sharing on social media. If you are on Facebook, please follow both CreativelyUnited and TreesMatterNetwork.
Please feel free to send us your information and updates to post here. Together, anything is possible! Let’s leverage the power of our combined networks so that we can help each other.
Great Tree Stories
Here are a few great tree stories we hope you enjoy. We welcome submissions from the public. Please share your tree stories here. Community Managed Forests: https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/10/23592712/conservation-nasa-satellite-images-nepal-forests The Spirituality...
What has the Community Trees Matter Network been up to?
Since CTMN began, in 2018, our various passionate members have been involved in a variety of projects: Educational Outreach to the Public via technology: We created a website filled with information about trees and ways citizens can protect them, at...
Will We Lose Downtown’s Last Garry Oaks?
This should not be a battle between supportive housing and the urban forest canopy. Everyone should have access to the mental and physical health benefits provided by mature trees. Every neighbourhood should gain from the carbon sequestration and enhanced biodiversity...
Tree removal should be last alternative
Too often, municipalities seem to think mature trees are just in the way. That needs to change, because those trees benefit public health and even save lives. Like every municipality, Saanich needs bike lanes, safe sidewalks, and up-to-date utility pipes. But were any...
HALT Saanich Council Action Plan: Help Save Remaining Shelbourne Trees!
We are concerned citizens who urge Saanich Council to pause implementation of Phase Two of its Shelbourne Valley Action Plan until after October 15, 2022 election. We wish the new Council to review the plan before proceeding. Click here to sign the petition The...
Questions For & Responses from Candidates
The science is conclusive, trees matter! Not only can trees help regulate weather, filter smoke and pollutants, absorb stormwater runoff and prevent floods, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, provide beauty, shade, and shelter for thousands of needed insects,...
Will the Missing Middle Squeeze Victoria’s Trees?
This article, written by Community Trees Matter Network co-founder Grace Golightly, was recently published in Focus and speaks to what's at stake with Victoria's urban trees and livability. https://www.focusonvictoria.ca/development-and-architecture/150/
Painfully But Patiently Bearing Witness: The Rewards
I have felt sometimes lately like I am descending into some kind of limbo. So much seems to be going sideways in the world at the same time, yet there doesn’t seem to be anything I can do to slow or halt the decline. For the last three years, all I seem to have been...
Urgent news for Victoria tree lovers
Dear friends of the urban forest, This Thursday, August 4th, Victoria city council is holding a public hearing about the proposed "Missing Middle" zoning change. This unprecedented change could mean a massive loss of city trees -- yet with no guaranteed increase in...
Missing Middle housing plan threatens Victoria’s trees
Two-thirds of the trees in Victoria are on private land, within the setbacks of buildings that do not maximize the allowable footprint. Upzone most of those properties and you provide the financial incentive to remove thousands of Victoria’s mature trees. The tree protection bylaw does not protect trees that fall within allowable building footprints.
Upzoning Proposal by City Threatens Democracy – Petition
Victoria Mayor, Lisa Helps, wants to force a vote (May 12th.) on an initiative that will seriously impact housing for homeowners and renters in Victoria long into the future. Crucially, it will involve upzoning residential areas of Victoria to allow development of up...
Earth Day Release – The Last Stand Premiere
The story of Fairy Creek comes to the world stage! In the summer of 2021, Canadian filmmaker Peter von Puttkamer and his crew made the trek to Fairy Creek to document the struggle and speak first-hand with the forest defenders...
Help Create Healing Forests
Nature heals — in more ways than one. Science shows that spending time in nature reduces stress and anxiety and boosts energy, creativity, co-ordination, problem solving and curiosity. For Earth Day, you can make MORE green spaces available to MORE people. Donate to...
Worth More Standing Anthology Launch Event
Join Christine Lowther, Tofino's Poet Laureate for the launch of Worth More Standing: Poets and Activists Pay Homage to Trees Anthology. About this event The launch of Worth More Standing: Poets and Activists Pay Homage to Trees will open at 12:30 p.m. and the event...
Take a Stand for James Bay’s Cherry Trees
I'm hoping you can help us with this campaign. If you have admired the gorgeous cherry trees on Menzies St. near Niagara, I am sorry to tell you that a developer is going to cut them all down - in order to move the sidewalk over a few feet. And the city has given them...
I just had the chance to view the City of Victoria Council video – hat’s off to you for bringing bright, new, constructive talks to the city about the urban forest! It was awesome to see city staff clapping, even though the Mayor had to remind them of the rules. Takes good speakers to get staff to cheer!
