Spreading Roots Featured Speaker:
Nina Bassuk, Professor and Program Leader of the Urban Horticulture Institute at Cornell University
Nina Bassuk has been a professor and program leader of the Urban Horticulture Institute at Cornell University for the past 30 years. She is also co-chair of the Cornell Community Forestry Work Team and is a member of the Executive Committee of the New York State Urban Forestry Council.  She is co- author of ‘Trees in the Urban Landscape”, a text for landscape architects and horticultural practitioners on establishing trees in disturbed and urban landscapes. In addition, Dr. Bassuk has authored 100 papers on the physiological problems of plants growing in urban environments, including improved plant selections for difficult sites, soil modification including the development of ‘CU-Structural Soil’ and improved transplanting technology.  She works closely with municipalities to help implement best practices in urban forestry management and developed the Student Weekend Arborist Team to inventory public trees in communities in NY State.    She is a frequent invited speaker at national conferences and workshops and most recently received the Scott Medal for Horticulture.

Liz Benneian, Past President of Oakvillegreen Conservation Association, CoFounder of Lincolngreen.
A former journalist and newspaper editor, under her leadership of Oakvillegreen Liz successfully fought plans to build an incinerator in Halton, convinced the Province to turn 675 acres slated for development into two new conservation areas, stopped plans to put a paved pathway through a critical migratory bird stopover area, and got a Town ban on pesticides and secured a bylaw to stop developers from clear cutting trees. Liz has been an award-winning environmental advocate since 2004. She was chosen as Earth Day
Canada’s National Hometown Hero for 2009 and in February of 2010 she received an
award from the Ontario Heritage Trust in recognition for her success in conserving the
Province’s natural heritage.

Barb Boysen, Coordinator, Forest Gene Conservation Association.
Barb is the Forest Genetics Specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) in southern Ontario and coordinates the Forest Gene Conservation Association (FGCA). The mandate of the FGCA is to promote the importance of the genetic resources of the forests in southcentral Ontario, with emphasis on conservation of genetic diversity of native forest tree species. FGCA members are working to conserve the genetic diversity of southern Ontario’s woody plant species through programs such as Ontario’s Natural Selections, a voluntary seed source certification program, building a Seed Collection Area Network for southern Ontario and Butternut Recovery. Other efforts focus on the promotion of gene conservation principles in the face of increasing challenges from invasive species and climate change.

Colleen Cirillo, Ontario Invasive Plant Council Committee Chair for the Horticulture Outreach Collaborative & Green Infrastructure Coordinator for the Toronto Region Conservation Authority, Ontario Invasive Plant Council.
Colleen has a Master’s degree in Environment and Resource Studies from the University of Waterloo and has worked for Toronto and Region Conservation since 2000. In 2003, Colleen initiated the Healthy Yards Program, and in 2009 she co-founded the Horticulture Outreach Collaborative, which she currently chairs. Native plants are her passion.

Peter Dmytrasz, Supervisor Tree Protection & Plan Review, Etobicoke York District, Urban Forestry Branch, City of Toronto
Peter is a forester working with the City of Toronto, an OUFC Director and original member of the Ontario Heritage Tree Alliance.

Cathy Dueck, Manager, Ecology Park and Landscape Programs, Peterborough Green-up
Cathy has been engaging the Peterborough community in land stewardship for 20 years. As manager of landscape programs for Peterborough Green-Up, she coordinates an urban forest program and Peterborough’s Ecology Park, a five acre centre for environmental education with a community tree nursery and an array of display gardens and naturalized habitats. Cathy’s work has been recognized with local, provincial and national awards for environmental education and leadership.

Mary Gartshore, Senior Ecologist, Restoration Specialist &Vice President, St. Williams Nursery & Ecology Centre
Mary has lived, worked and taught in her field in West Africa including Nigeria, Cameroon and Cote d’Ivoire. In 1990 she and her partner Peter purchased a farm in the Long Point area and began growing native plants and carrying out ecological restoration projects. In 2009 she joined forces with a team to develop an ecological restoration and biodiversity conservation facility at the old provincial St. Williams Forestry Station now called St. Williams Nursery and Ecology Centre. Presently as many as 300 species of plants are propagated and large ecological restoration projects are carried out.

Spreading Roots Featured Speaker:
Noel Harding, Canadian Artist & Urban Innovator
Noel Harding is an internationally recognized visual artist. From public art through to master plan and urban design vision studies Harding celebrates visual excellence, originality and community pride in built landscapes while also provoking enriching icons and signposts toward an identity of place. His work keynotes sustainable practice and integrates proactive environmental technologies. He is well known for his sculpture, The Elevated Wetlands, in the Don Valley ravine where vegetation lives in recycled plastic soil while cleaning polluted water.

Rob Keen, CEO, Trees Ontario.
Rob is a Registered Professional Forester (RPF). Since his graduation from the University of Toronto in 1982, he has run his own forestry consultant business. He has been involved with many facets of the forestry industry, primarily in the Great Lake St. Lawrence forest region. Rob has provided forestry services to landowners, developed forest management plans on Crown and private land, conducted wood supply and feasibility studies, led forest audits for the Forest Stewardship Council and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and fulfilled silvicultural contracts with the MNR. In 2003, Rob joined Trees Ontario as Program Manager. In 2009, he took on the role as Director of Operations and was responsible for the planning and implementation of Trees Ontario’s tree planting programs, sustaining its planting partnerships (65+) and the organization’s overall financial planning. Rob is now leading Trees Ontario towards achieving its regreening mandate.

Spreading Roots Keynote:
Cecil Konijnendijk, Professor, Green Space Management, Danish Centre for Forest, Landscape and Planning Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen
World renowned expert on the urban forest, Cecil is a professor at the Green Space Management at the Danish Centre for Forest, Landcape and Planning, University of Copenhagen. Cecil has studied and promoted the role of forests, trees and green spaces in urban societies across the world. He has a special interest in urban forestry, green space  strategies and policies, functions of green space, as well as communication, marketing, and public involvement issues. Cecil has authored over 200 publications, including his book, The Forest and the City, and is editor-in-chief of the scientific journal Urban Forestry and Urban Greening.

JR Leo, Project Manager, Downsview Park and Halton Region, Evergreen
JR’s background in environmental non-profit project management, specifically in stewardship and restoration with an emphasis on multi stakeholder programs between Government, NGOs and various local service clubs and groups. He is focused on urban greening projects, including sites in Downsview Park, Peel and Oakville.

Beth McEwan, Manager, Forest & Natural Environment Management, City of Toronto Urban Forestry
Beth McEwen, Manager of Urban Forest Renewal, City of Toronto
Beth is an Urban Forester with a Master’s degree in Forestry from the University of Toronto. Since 1991, she has worked at the City of Toronto, in the Parks Division. Responsibilities and projects have included management of forest pests and invasive plants, as well as ravine and natural heritage protection, forest restoration and prescribed burn management of High Park’s Oak Savannah. Currently Beth is managing large scale tree planting programs, as well as a natural resource management program aimed at invasive species management, natural surface trail management and volunteer stewardship programs. While Beth’s responsibilities have become more administrative in recent years, she remains passionate about the ravines and bluffs that define Toronto’s natural heritage system.

Janet McKay, Executive Director, LEAF
In 1996 Janet started a small tree seedling distribution project in Toronto’s South Riverdale neighbourhood. Many years later, that project has grown to become LEAF (Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests) which is the recipient of two Green Toronto Awards in 2007 and 2009, and the North American Native Plant Society’s Paul McGaw Memorial Conservation Award in 2010.  LEAF was voted Toronto’s Best Activist Organization by NOW Magazine readers in 2010. Janet  served on the Board of Directors of the Ontario Urban Forest Council from 2002 to 2006. Janet is also involved in the provincial urban forest movement, taking leadership roles in the formation of the Urban Forest Stewardship Network and the Green Infrastructure Ontario Coalition.  LEAF has planted 16,000 trees and shrubs in backyards of Toronto and York Region  and is dedicated to improving city life one tree at a time.

Dan McKenney, Senior Scientist and Team Leader with Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service Ontario
Dan works with the Canadian Forest Service in Sault Ste Marie. He has a PhD from the Australian National University, a Master’s from the University of Guelph and a BSc from Texas A&M University. His research interests range from invasive species impacts to the development and use of climate maps. He has also been involved with updating and modernizing Canada’s plant hardiness zones.

Michelle McLean, ‘Adopt A Tree Program Coordinator’, Friends of Trinity Bellwoods Park
Michelle coordinates a volunteer Adopt-a-Tree program in downtown Toronto’s Trinity Bellwoods Park, which is an initiative of the Friends of Trinity Bellwoods Park (FoTBP). FoTBP is an ad-hoc volunteer group of park neighbors and users that has founded a weekly summer farmers market, operates a greenhouse as an educational and community resource, presents bulb and shrub planting events in collaboration with Parks and Recreation and responds to community issues that affect the park.

Joe Meating, President & Director, Forest Surveys & Protection, Bioforest Technologies
Joe was the Forest Insect Control Officer with the Forest Insect and Disease Survey Unit of the Canadian Forest Service (CFS) in Ontario for over 15 years. As Director of Forest Surveys and Protection for BioForest Technologies Inc., Joe has been involved in developing and delivering a complete spruce budworm management program to the Province of Saskatchewan. He has also been involved in the development and implementation of pest management tools such as the spruce budworm and jack pine budworm decision support systems, field trials to assess pesticide efficacy, and the design and delivery of custom pest surveys and assessments. Joe has a B.Sc. in Wildlife Biology and an M.Sc. in Ecology from the University of New Brunswick, as well as advanced training in forest entomology.

Jeff Olsen, Brookdale Treeland Nursery
Jeff is the President at Brookdale Treeland Nursery.

Mark Ostrowski, Owner, Laurel Forest Farms
Mark owns and operates a tree farm and field nursery just west of Orangeville, Ontario. Species produced are mainly native shade trees and various conifers for landscape contractors, tree movers and other wholesale nurseries. Mark is a graduate of the University of Guelph and current Chair of Landscape Ontario’s Growers Sector Group.

 

Sandra Pella, Toronto Botanical Garden
Sandra is the Head Gardener at Toronto Botanical Garden.

 

 

 

Janet Rosenberg, Founder and Principal of JR + A
Janet possesses extensive experience in the development of detail design features, the integration of artistic elements into the landscape, and considerable horticultural expertise. She is endowed with the fundamental understanding of large-scale site development and environmental issues, a well-developed sense of what constitutes the successful smaller-scale space, and an intuitive comprehension of the enduring relationship between built form and the landscape. Her most recent success is leading team HtO in the brilliant winning landscape design of the Toronto Harbourfront Parks and Open Space System Competition.

Peter Simon, Urban Forestry Planner, City of Toronto
Peter Simon has been working in Urban Forestry for the City of Toronto for the last 10 years. The main focus of his work has been on improving the planting conditions for trees in hard surfaced urban areas. Peter is a graduate of the University of Toronto School Of Architecture. His experience as an architect includes working on large commercial, institutional and residential projects. During his career as an architect Peter acted as a consultant for the City of Toronto at varying times for the Planning, Housing and Parks and Recreation Departments. He become involved with trees through building projects including the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and a number of City parks that required an engineered structure to support the conditions needed for trees to grow to maturity. Peter’s interest is the integration of trees within the city infrastructure, the integration of the urban forest into the built environment. His passion is cities and the dynamic processes that are involved in shaping them.

Judy Shirriff, Category Business Manager, Live Goods, Canadian Tire
Judy started her career in a flower shop before studying Horticulture at Niagara College and Marketing at Ryerson University.  She has spent 20 years working in various design and merchandising roles related to floral, landscape and garden centre.  She was a Category Manager at Sobeys; and is currently Category Business Manager, Live Goods for Canadian Tire.

 

Sandy Smith, Dean of Forestry, University of Toronto
Sandy specializes in biological control, invasive species, forest entomology, biodiversity, and forest pest management. Her primary research is on ecological aspects of natural enemies attacking forest insects including the population dynamics of native parasitoids. She also works actively in assessing the impacts of forest management practices on insect biodiversity, communities and guild functioning, as well as the mechanisms and effects of non-native invertebrate species ranging from wood-boring beetles to earthworms and honeybees.

Ken Towle, Terrestrial Ecologist, Ganaraska Conservation Association
Ken received a Masters degree in Environmental Studies from York University in 1990. He worked in the fields of ecological restoration and environmental education as a consultant and with NGOs before joining the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority in 1997, and the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority in 2003. Currently he is also Vice-Chair of the Ontario Invasive Plants Council. He lives in Peterborough.

Neil Turnbull, Landscape Architect and President of Neil Turnbull Ltd. and Hedgerow Farm
Neil Turnbull Ltd. is a design/build landscaping company. His studies and work in commercial art, intensive horticulture and environmental studies led to the founding of NTL in 1978. Hedgerow Farm, Neil’s specimen tree nursery and headquarters was established in 1987. While most of his projects are homes, cottages and farms in southern Ontario, Neil has also worked on institutional projects, including roof gardens at the Princess Margaret hospital, the Baycrest Centre, and the main garden at the Stratford Festival Theatre.

Philip van Wassenaer, Principal Consulting Arborist and Founder, Urban Forest Innovations
Philip is the principal consulting arborist and founder of UFI. With over 20 years experience as a practicing arborist, Philip is an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist and a member of the prestigious American Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCA). In 2005, Philip became a member of the SAG Baumstatik, an organization of Risk Assessment specialists based in Stuttgart, Germany. Philip also served as both President and Director of the Ontario Urban Forest Council (OUFC) between 1997 and 2008. Philip’s strong combination of education and experience allow him to bring a unique and successful approach to arboriculture and urban forestry.

Mary Wiens, Roncesvalles Renewed
Mary Wiens is an award-winning journalist and producer who can be heard weekdays on CBC Radio One’s #1 morning show, Metro Morning on 99.1 FM in Toronto. Mary’s commitment to city building is expressed on air as well as in her work as a community volunteer. As one of the founding members of Roncesvalles Renewed, she’s part of a group of residents, business owners, political representatives and policy makers who meet to discuss the major issues and opportunities facing their local community. The group played an important role in helping to change the city’s standards for planting boulevard trees, a project that stands as a symbol of what it means to be an active engaged citizen of your own city.

Paul Zammit, Director of Horticulture, Toronto Botanical Garden
A graduate of the University of Guelph’s Plant Agriculture program, Paul is an active member of many Canadian and international gardening communities. He lectures on a wide array of subjects, including container gardening, perennials, ground covers and tropicals. A popular and engaging speaker, Paul has given presentations at many garden clubs and large garden shows such as the Canadian National Exhibition, Success With Gardening and Canada Blooms, and other horticultural trade shows in both Canada and the United States. Paul is the Nancy Eaton Director of Horticulture at Toronto Botanical Garden.