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.
National Tree Day: A Meaningful Way to Reflect on the Positive Impact of Trees
National Tree Day is a meaningful way to reflect on the positive impact that trees have on our lives and to celebrate all that they have to offer. From cleaning the air to managing stormwater to storing CO2, urban forests play an integral role in our health and well-being.
Free Boulevard Tree Planting in Saanich & Oak Bay
If you live in Saanich, you can get a free tree planted on your boulevard! Check out this link for more info. (If you live in Oak Bay, they have a similar program! It is not posted, but for more info on Oak Bay's boulevard tree program, call 250-592-7275)
Tree Cycling Tour
Hop on your bike and learn about how trees and tree canopies help our cities to survive and thrive. Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition, Community Trees Matter Network, City of Victoria Parks and District of Oak Bay Parks invite you to jump on your bicycle and take...
Tree activists call for better transparency after Humboldt Street tree removal
"It was misleading to say they had ‘broad public support’ ... Ultimately, the number of people who signed the petition to save the tree, in less than three days, was more than the number of people they’d consulted with about the project over a period of two years.”...
Humboldt Street Tree: A Case Study
An approximately 40 year-old white birch tree (“the Humboldt tree”) at the intersection of Humboldt and Government was cut down on January 28, 2019 to implement a complete redesign of the intersection. The redesign was scheduled as part of the implementation of the City of Victoria’s AAA Bicycle Network Plan.
Can You Imagine? – A Poem By Mary Oliver
CAN YOU IMAGINE? by Mary Oliver For example, what the trees do not only in lightening storms or the watery dark of a summer’s night or under the white nets of winter but now, and now, and now – whenever we’re not looking. Surely you can’t imagine they don’t dance,...
A Tree For All Trades
Thank you to everyone who came out to the film and information night on Friday. It was a full house that included an opportunity for those in attendance to learn more about carbon negative Harmless Home and how the new...
CBRA’s Request for Consultations for Tree Removal on Public Property
One Cadboro Bay neighbourhood was stunned, earlier this year, when a number of healthy Garry Oaks were posted for tree removal. Residents sprang into action to try to dissuade council from moving ahead. They were told the decision had already been made. Further, they...
Presenting the Garry Oak Meadow Preservation Society
The Garry Oak Meadow Preservation Society (GOMPS) was formed in 1992. Local citizens were concerned that native Garry oak woodlands and meadows were rapidly disappearing in the Capital Regional District. Development and human actions have caused and continue to be the...
Residents’ Group Fights for a New Park in Langford
(200 residents attended a rezoning meeting recently to request some of this property be left as parkland. Please read on for an update.) On July 8, 2019 the City of Langford Planning, Zoning and Affordable Housing Committee moved to proceed with comprehensive...
Looking For Locals With Expertise
We're looking to put together a "panel of experts" for the Citizens of South Langford for Sustainable Development (CSLSD). We often have questions pop up about certain subjects as we are working on our various plans of action, and would love to have people that we can...
City of Victoria Town Hall on Climate Change
In June, the City of Victoria hosted public town halls on climate change, focused on existing buildings, new buildings and transportation. Two of our volunteers, Grace Golightly and Lisa Gordon used their five minutes each at the microphone to remind mayor and council...
Tree planting ‘has mind-blowing potential’ to tackle climate crisis
Planting billions of trees across the world (and preventing more deforestation) is by far the biggest and cheapest way to tackle the climate crisis, according to scientists.
Native Deciduous Trees for your Garden
There are some lovely native deciduous trees that you can grow in your garden. The ones I will write about are fairly small and don’t take up a huge amount of space.
Urban Forests Benefit Us All
Thank you to the more than 100 people who attended Community Trees Matter Network's April 17th discussion with Dr. Cecil Konijnendijk. His inspiring presentation clearly illustrated the true value of trees from a public health and wellness perspective and why we need...
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!
