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 https://communitytreesmatternetwork.org/
- We started a Facebook page, Trees Matter Network, and recently an Instagram account, @treesmatternetwork
in person:
- We’ve made a number of presentations to Victoria, Saanich and Esquimalt municipal councils, as well as SD61 School Board, about the ability of trees to mitigate heat, sequester carbon, and provide many other beneficial ecosystem services
through the media:
- We have increased public awareness of the importance of trees by publishing numerous articles, opinion editorials and letters to the editor, as well as being interviewed on radio and TV;
- Our work was covered in Focus Magazine: https://www.focusonvictoria.ca/janfeb2019/victorias-diminishing-urban-forest-r17/
with events:
– We hosted several exciting in-person presentations, including UBC urban forestry professor Cecil Konijnendijk (Trees can do that? An Urban Forestry approach to better and healthier cities); arborist Ryan Senechal on proper tree-planting; and Patty Johnston on Garry Oak ecosystems;
– We co-hosted two well-attended bike tours of local trees.
Lobbying Victoria City Council
– We successfully appealed to Victoria council to protect trees from the size of 30 cm DBH instead of 60 cm,
– We created a visual depiction of the vast difference in circumference between large mature trees slated to be cut down, and the tiny saplings that will be planted to ‘replace’ them,
– We successfully lobbied for increased funds for the Victoria Parks Department, in order to hire an Urban Forest Manager and to implement the Urban Forest Master Plan,
– We sent pre-election questions regarding the urban forest to candidates for two municipal elections, posted their responses, and later remind those elected of their responses in letters and presentations.
Working with Other Groups
– When possible, we have assisted others to prepare for presentations to the city about developments in their neighbourhoods, and posted information on our website to support people who try to fight for trees,
– We helped facilitate ‘Thank-you and Goodbye’ vigils for trees removed in several neighbourhoods, including the Humboldt tree, 1201 Fort Street, and the Vic High poplars, to give community members an opportunity to celebrate and grieve the loss of trees together.
Rattling Some Cages
– We publicized the FOI and recommendations to city of Victoria made by former member, Mariann Burka, after her investigation into what alternatives staff had explored before deciding to remove the Humboldt tree – https://creativelyunited.org/humboldt-street-tree-a-case-study/
- We made an FOI request for the details of the LIDAR report on changes to the tree canopy, confirming that the outgoing mayor’s claim that the tree canopy had grown by “60 football fields,” should have been ground-truthed, as some of what was included could well have been invasive species. https://www.focusonvictoria.ca/development-and-architecture/150/
We are grateful for the ongoing support given to us by Creatively United for the Planet, its director, Frances Litman (who is also a co-founder of CTMN), Jake Jansen, and the CU board, as well as the encouragement and participation of the thousands of tree-appreciating citizens of our region.
We also appreciate the hard-working people in Parks departments who have answered our many questions, met with us, and led our tree bike tours, and also the reporters, talk show hosts and media who have carried information about our work, including CBC, CFAX, CHEK-TV, the Times Colonist, Focus on Victoria Magazine, and Victoria and Saanich News.