Residents in Aurora, Ontario, are invited to help grow the community’s urban forest by joining a tree planting event at Stewart Burnett Park on Saturday, May 2, 2026. The event, hosted by LEAF (Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests), will run from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM and aims to add 1,000 native trees and shrubs to the local landscape.
The planting session is free to attend, though organizers require participants to sign up online in advance. Volunteers of all ages are welcome to assist with the effort. This project is supported by Trees for Life, the Town of Aurora, and the Regional Municipality of York through the federal Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund.
This initiative helps work toward the Town of Aurora’s goal of reaching 40 percent tree canopy coverage by 2034. Currently, the town’s urban forest is estimated to cover approximately 28 percent of the municipal land. This effort complements the town’s own spring planting program, which will see the local forestry division add more than 250 trees to the community this season.
The event also marks a milestone for LEAF, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026. Founded by Janet McKay in 1995, the organization began as a small project to distribute tree saplings to neighbours and has since expanded to coordinate planting, stewardship, and education programs across the Greater Toronto Area.
