Seeds to Saplings
  • Grow a Native Tree
    • Project Background
    • For Teachers
    • Start the Project >
      • Collect and Prepare Seeds
      • Growing Step by Step
      • Planting Your Sapling
  • Resources
  • About
    • Our Team
    • Contact
  • Why S2S?
    • Toronto's Ravines
    • Why trees are important in the city
    • Invasive Species
    • Biodiversity
  • Donate

Resources

This collection of reference and teaching resources is designed to complement the S2S Grow a Native Tree project. Here you can find books, webinars, newspaper articles, academic research reports, short videos, and documentaries, sorted by audience, theme and resource type. More resources will be added soon!
Picture
Search for resources like this muskrat! Photo by Andrew Budziak.

Resources for ALl grades

Why We Need Trees

READING & Reference

Tree Cover and species composition effects on academic performance of primary school students
Created by: Toronto District School Board, University of Toronto Faculty of Forestry, Sivajanani Sivarajah, Sandy Smith, and Sean Thomas
Type: Academic journal article
Description: Increasing tree cover and planting a diverse array of trees improve academic performance of students. Improvements were most pronounced in schools that showed the highest level of external challenges, suggesting the importance of urban forestry investments in these schools.
Access: ​Free​
Go to Resource
Urban Forests
Created by: Green Infrastructure Ontario Coalition
Type: Article
Description: How urban forests make our cities better places for people and other creatures to live.
Access: ​Free​
Go to Resource
22 Benefits of Trees
Created by: TreePeople
Type: Article
Description: 22 ways that trees work to help people and the planet.
Access: ​Free​
Go to Resource

ACtivities & Lesson Plans

 The Eco-Buddy System
Created by:
Forests Ontario
Type: ​Lesson plan
Description: Students will explore their own sense of community and demonstrate an awareness that animals and plants depend on their environment to meet their basic needs. This is an indoor/outdoor activity for two class periods. English and French. 
Access: Free
Go to Resource
Old Trees, Old Tales
Created by:
Forests Ontario
Type: ​Lesson Plan
Description: A one hour lesson that teaches why trees are significant to people and invites students to reflect on trees that are important to them. 
Access: Free
Go to Resource
Forests at Risk

READING & Reference

Forest Selfies Are Helping Save B.C.'s Old-Growth Trees
Created by: TJ Watt & Malcolm Johnson, Outside Online
Type: Article & Photo Gallery
Description: For over a decade, TJ Watt has been shooting photos of disappearing old-growth forests in British Columbia. His before-and-after photographs may help change the course of Canada's unsustainable logging industry.
Access: ​Free​
Go to Resource
'Highly invasive' tree putting our iconic sugar maple at risk
Created by: Marta Czurylowicz, The Weather Network
Type: News report video [3 minutes]
Description: The problem of the invasive Norway maple.
Access: ​Free​
Go to Resource
The Ravine Scene
Created by: Jason Ramsay-Brown and Kathleen Fu, The Globe and Mail
Type: Infographic
Description: Poster illustrating Toronto's ravines and the problems they face. Great for inviting discussion about our ravines. 
Access: Subscription to The Globe and Mail necessary​
Go to Resource
You are stealing our future
Created by: Greta Thunberg, Democracy Now!
Type: Video [4 minutes]
Description: Video of climate activist Greta Thunberg at a 2018 United Nations meeting in Poland where she condemns world leaders' failure to address the climate crisis and warns them of coming necessary change.
Access: Free​
Go to Resource

ACTIVITIES & LESSON plans

Starling Mania
Created by:
Green Teacher
Type: Lesson plan
Description: Game for grades 3-9 where students pretend to be starlings or songbirds. Students will learn that once an invasive species takes hold in an area, there is often no room left for natural species.
Access: Free
Go to Resource
Invasive Species Curriculum Kits 
Created by: Ontario's Invading Species Awareness Program
Type: Lesson plans
Description: Two kits on invasive species, designed for Grade 4 and Grade 6, complete with lesson plans, support materials and background information.
Access: Free
Go to Resource
Anatomy of a tree

READING & ReFERENCE

Parts of a Tree Factsheet
Created by:
Forests Ontario
Type: ​Factsheet
Description: Learn about the parts of a tree and their functions using this one page guide. Use as reference for activities and lesson plans. 
Access: Free
Go to Resource

ACTIVITIES & LESSON PlANS

Need some re-leaf?
Created by: National Geographic
Type: Science & art
Description: Fall tree-centered science experiments for kids that double as art projects. 
Access: Subscription to National Geographic necessary
Go to Resource
Tree Grab Bag
Created by: Forests Ontario
Type: ​Activity
Description: Activity where students learn the parts of a tree by reaching into a bag and identifying the part they draw. English and French.
Access: Free
Go to Resource
Let's Look at Trees
Created by:
Forests Ontario
Type: ​Lesson plan
Description: Students will go on an outdoor adventure to compare the physical characteristics of trees, shrubs and other plants. English and French.
Access: Free
Go to Resource
Anatomy of an Acorn
Created by: tinyartroom
Type: ​Art project
Description: Examples of elementary students' art work of acorns. 
Access: Free
Go to Resource
biodiversity & beyond

ACTIVITIES & LESSON PLANS

Putting Down Roots
Created by: 
Forests Ontario
Type: ​Lesson plan
Description: 72-minute lesson for grades 4-8 about the habitat requirements for different Ontario native trees. 
Access: Free
Go to Resource
Monumental Trees in Canada
Created by: MonumentalTrees.com
Type: Map
Description: Location, photos, and information on the biggest and oldest trees in Canada. Organized by province and species of tree.
Access: Free
Go to Resource

Resources for Grades 7+

biodiversity and the forest

Reading & Reference

Borealis
Created by: 
Kevin McMahon, National Film Board of Canada
Type: Documentary [94 minutes]
Description: Acclaimed director Kevin McMahon travels deep into the heart of the boreal forest to explore the chorus of life in Canada's iconic wilderness. How do trees move, communicate and survive the destructive forces of fire, insects, and human encroachment?
Access: Free​ streaming
Go to Resource
Beavers are the architects of biodiversity
Created by: Ontario Parks
Type: Blog
Description: The changes beavers make to the landscape open it for many other species. A bit of history of trapping and fashion too.
Access: Free​ 
Go to Resource
Birds of Toronto: an introduction to their remarkable world
Created by: City of Toronto
Type: PDF guide
Description: Detailed guide to birds in the Toronto area, with excellent colour photos - where to see them, which ones winter/breed here, how they are endangered, and more.
Access: Free​ 
Go to Resource
Toronto in trouble

REading & Reference

Ecological collapse of Toronto’s ravine system has begun, researcher says
Created by: Muriel Draaisma, CBC News
Type: News article
Description: A call to action with some solutions offered.
Access: Free
Go to Resource
Studies say Toronto’s ravines and inner harbour are in trouble
Created by: ​Francine Kopun, Toronto Star
Type: News article
Description: Sewage is threatening Toronto's harbours and invasive plants are threatening its ravines. 
Access: Free
Go to Resource
Opportunities for change

READING & Reference

A beginner's guide to planting trees - and fighting the climate crisis
Created by:
Matt Collins for The Guardian
Type: Article
Description: An overview of the issues and benefits of planting trees. Planting is an increasingly common way for companies to offset carbon emissions, but if done poorly, planting can actually reduce biodiversity and contribute to climate change. This article covers how planting can be done responsibly. 
Access: Free​
Go to Resource
SETAC Community Engagement Event
Created by:
WebsEdge Science
Type: Video [4 minutes]
Description: Interviews with Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) representative and community participants in the Don River community engagement event.
Access: Free​
Go to Resource
Three ways cities can prepare for climate emergencies
Created by: Ryan Plummer, Darby McGrath, Jessica Blythe, Julia Baird - The Conversation
Type: News article​
Description: Cities must be resilient, adopt green infrastructure, and collaborate with other cities to survive the climate crisis. Article also contains links to many other articles about urban environment and climate.
Access: Free​
Go to Resource
Invasive plants were too much to handle in a NYC park. Enter the goats.
Created by: Caroline Anders - The Washington Post
Type: News article​ and video [2 minutes]
Description: New York City tries a different way of dealing with invasive weeds in Riverside Park by introducing a small herd of goats for the summer.
Access: Free​
Go to Resource
Rabbits, plovers, bees and a bear? Toronto adopts strategy to preserve its biodiversity
Created by:
Kate Allen - Toronto Star
Type: News article​
Description: Biodiversity strategy needs funding and citizen interest to move forward and protect Toronto's ravines.
Access: Free​
Go to Resource

Activities & Lesson Plans

Native Trees for Northeast Landscapes: Further Resources
Created by: 
Wild Seed Project
Type: Activity​ and reference
Description: The Wild Seed Project has numerous resources and suggestions for how to be an active agent in promoting healthier forests. Though it is targeted at the northeast USA, Ontario shares many native plants with this region - just be sure to double check the Ontario Native Tree Atlas before you disperse seeds or plant trees.
Access: Free​
Go to Resource
Take the Water Challenge
Created by: 
Nature Conservancy of Canada
Type: Activity​
Description: Activities around water use and conservation.
Access: Free​
Go to Resource
Carbon Dioxide Sources and Sinks Activity
Created by: 
UCAR Center for Science Education
Type: Activity​
Description: Activities that help students discover firsthand how carbon enters and exist the atmosphere, and how this affects the overall balance of the earth system. 
Access: Free​
Go to Resource
Keeping track of trees

Reading & Reference

Native Plant Database
Created by:
North American Native Plant Society
Type: ​Database
Description: An online database of native plants with pictures. You can view plants by type, habitat, light requirement, and soil moisture.
Access: Free
Go to Resource

Activities & Lesson plans

Urban Forest Visual
Created by:
City of Melbourne
Type: Maps and charts
Description: An excellent example of how a city can use volunteers and open data to create useful biodiversity maps. Toronto, take note!
Access: Free
Go to Resource
PictureThis 
Created by:
Glority LLC
Type: Mobile app (Apple and Android)
Description: Use this app to identify more than 10,000 plant species. The database also tell you how to take care of certain plants, identify toxic ones, and gives you fun facts. 
Access: Free
Go to Resource
Not All Plants are Created Equal
Created by:
Forests Ontario
Type: Lesson plan
Description: 2-3 hour indoor-outdoor activity to familiarize students with the characteristics of trees to boost identification skills. English and French. 
Access: Free
Go to Resource

RESOURCES FOR SENIOR GRADES

Webs of life

Reading & Reference

The Social Life of Forests
Created by: 
The New York Times
Type: Podcast episode [50 minutes]
Description: An exploration of Canadian ecologist Suzanne Simard's work on how trees communicate through subterranean networks of fungi. 
Access: Free​ streaming 
Go to Resource
Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species 
Created by:
Narango, Tallamy, & Shropshire (2020) in Nature Communications vol. 11
Type: Research article
Description: A survey of published data on host plant ranges and associated host plant-Lepidoptera interactions from across the US that reveals that among ecosystems, distributions of plant-herbivore interactions are consistently skewed, with a small percentage of plant genera supporting the majority of Lepidoptera. 
Access: Free​ 
Go to Resource
Invasive species strategic plan 2012
Created by: 
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Type: Planning document
Description: A strategic plan to prevent new invaders from arriving and surviving in the province, to slow or reverse the spread of existing invasive species and to reduce the harmful impacts of existing invasive species.
Access: Free​ 
Go to Resource
Scientists Sound Alarm about Insect Apocalypse
Created by: 
EcoWatch
Type: ​Blog
Description: A collection of new scientific papers authored by 56 experts from around the world reiterates rising concerns about bug declines and urges people and governments to take urgent action to address a biodiversity crisis dubbed the "insect apocalypse."
Access: Free​ 
Go to Resource
Scientists decry death by 1,000 cuts for world's insects
Created by: 
Toronto Star / Associated Press
Type: News article
Description: Loss of biodiversity, use of pesticides and other agricultural practices, light pollution… are all causing loss of vital insects.
Access: Free​ 
Go to Resource
The Bug Apocalypse
​
Created by: 
TVO / The Agenda with Steve Paikin
Type: News video [33 minutes]
Description: Two recent landmark studies show a precipitous decline in insect populations worldwide, as much as 80 percent in three decades. While it is not an extinction, it has serious implications for the natural world and humans. The Agenda will examine the effects of the so-called "Insect Apocalypse" how it happened and what options science provides to address the problem.
Access: Free​ 
Go to Resource
This is your brain on trees: Why is urban nature so good for our minds, and what happens when a pandemic isolates us from it?
​
Created by: 
The Globe and Mail
Type: News article
Description: Green space helps people feel less depressed and fatigued, and science is still exploring all the other ways it lifts our spirits. In a global crisis, we could all use more time in nature.
Access: Globe and Mail subscription required
Go to Resource
A pioneering forest researcher's memoir describes 'Finding the Mother Tree'
​
Created by: 
CBC / Quirks and Quarks radio program
Type: Radio program audio [17 minutes] and transcript 
Description: An interview with a forestry company worker and later biologist who had an epiphany about what was wrong with the industry’s replanting methods, and consequent research which led to the discovery of who trees relate to each other.
Access: Free
Go to Resource
Call of the Forest: The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees
​
Created by: 
TVO Earth Week
Type: Documentary [52 minutes]
Description: Forests are one of the world's most significant sources of food, new medicines and oxygen. Scientist and author Diana Beresford-Kroeger explores our profound biological and spiritual connection with trees, and meets people who are taking the lead to replant, restore and protect the last of the planet's great ancient forests.
Access: Free
Go to Resource
GROWING GREEN CITIES

REading & Reference

Daycare in Finland Built Their Own 'Forests', And It Changed Kids' Immune Systems
Created by: Science Alert
Type: News article
Description: An experiment in Helsinki found that by making children's schoolyard environments more green the children benefited by developing healthier immune systems.
Access: Free 
Go to Resource
TREE Fund webinar series
Created by: Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund (TREE Fund)
Type: Webinar
Description: A series of one-hour webinars on the latest ideas in tree research, presented by scientists. Past webinars are viewable in the Tree Fund archive.
Access: Free 
Go to Resource
Mississauga Living Green Master Plan
​
Created by: 
​The Corporation of the City of Mississauga
Type: Planning document
Description: The first environmental master plan created by Mississauga, this document identifies actions for the city to improve environmental consciousness, take action to reduce impacts on the environment, and mitigate climate change.  
Access: Free
Go to Resource
Toronto's natural drainage systems, its ravines, get a makeover
​
Created by: 
​The Globe and Mail
Type: ​News article
Description: Building a massive bypass tunnel will help remove sewage from the Don River and Taylor Creek, greatly reducing their pollution levels.
Access: Globe and Mail subscription required
Go to Resource
What Toronto's ailing ravines show about the unhealthy future of Canada's urban wildernesses
​​
Created by: 
​The Globe and Mail
Type: News article
Description: Long article discussing ravine health in Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver.
Access: Globe and Mail subscription required
Go to Resource
Toronto in Deep
​​​
Created by: 
​Landscape Architecture Magazine
Type: Article
Description: A summary of the issues faced by Toronto's ravines and solutions proposed by the Toronto Ravines Study 1977-2017. 
Access: Free
Go to Resource
Toronto Ravine Revitalization Study: 1977-2017
​​​
Created by: 
​Ontario Invasive Plant Council
Type: Webinar [1 hour]
Description: A video summary of the Toronto Ravine Study 1977-2017. 
Access: Free
Go to Resource
ACTIVISM

READING & Reference

Citizen Activism in Support of Toronto's Watercourses
Created by: 
Park People
Type: Article
Description: Ravines and the waterfront in Toronto, and how citizens, governments and NGOs are trying to help them.
Access: Free​
Go to Resource
Tiny Forests Are Springing Up All Around Europe, Inspired by Japan, to Help Restore Biodiversity
Created by: Good News Network
Type: ​News article​
Description: A Japanese forester has inspired individuals and communities in Europe to plant densely-packed clusters of seedlings to create small functional ecosystems that can restore soil, protect resources like water and air quality, and act as biodiversity hotspots that can have a measurable effect on both the local and regional environment.
Access: Free​
Go to Resource
Canada clearcuts one million acres of boreal forest every year
Created by: The Narwhal
Type: Article
Description: A call to action to Canadians to ask the Trudeau government to enforce its laws to protect the boreal forest in light of a report about companies clearcutting forests to produce toilet paper. 
Access: Free​
Go to Resource
Does Climate Change Violate Children's Human Rights?  A European Court May Soon Decide
Created by:
Time Magazine
Type: News article
Description: Six young Portugese people have filed the first ever climate case with the European Court of Human Rights, arguing that European countries have not done enough to prevent the impacts of climate change from violating their citizens' human rights. 
Access: Free​
Go to Resource
If We Plant Billions of Trees to Save Us, They Must Be Native Trees
Created by: The Tyee
Type: Article
Description: Interview with Diana Beresford-Kroeger on how we can only use trees to slow climate change if each of us plants trees native to our homes. 
Access: Free​
Go to Resource

Partners

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
  • Grow a Native Tree
    • Project Background
    • For Teachers
    • Start the Project >
      • Collect and Prepare Seeds
      • Growing Step by Step
      • Planting Your Sapling
  • Resources
  • About
    • Our Team
    • Contact
  • Why S2S?
    • Toronto's Ravines
    • Why trees are important in the city
    • Invasive Species
    • Biodiversity
  • Donate