Success of the Capital Project Tree Planting in the Toronto District School Board

Abstract

As the second-largest landowner in the City of Toronto, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is unique as it has considerable influence in shaping the city's green space. With the aim to create a more diverse and resilient urban canopy in response to the climate crisis, TDSB has put sustained effort into tree planting activities. In addition to its "Large Tree Program," the board has explored tree planting opportunities in its capital projects as part of the school's facilities enhancement efforts. While TDSB has undertaken capital project tree-planting (CP tree-planting) activities, the board did not have updated tree inventory information regarding schools that participated in CP tree-planting activities over the past ten years. Therefore, the objective of this study is to assess the current condition of recently planted trees based on the data obtained by Neighbourwoods© tree inventory and identify maintenance priorities informed based on the current tree conditions. The overall tree conditions indicate that TDSB needs to provide more timely maintenance to establish and grow newly planted trees. However, tree planting locations are often scattered over large geographic areas; performing maintenance practices on all recently planted trees will be time-intensive and require sufficient funding. Therefore, given the limited resources, this study recommends that TDSB prioritize maintenance practices based on tree conditions. Additionally, to help the board achieve a higher level of planting success in the future, this study suggests that the right tree must be planted in the right place and receive the right care. The results of this study could be used to further guide TDSB's urban forest management and maintenance plans.