For the first North-End Raccoon Walk, we gathered at the former Catherine St bridge, now overgrown with Junk Trees and Manitoba Maples, to familiarize ourselves with the trees in this neighbourhood. We spent the afternoon meeting and getting to know some of the most commonly encountered trees in the urban space — an important first step in learning to see the North-End as habitat and ecosystem. We focused our learning on bark texture, branching pattern, and bud shape rather than on leaves and flowers, because these tools are useful throughout the year for identifying familiar friends at a glance.
To do this, we told twelve stories about twelve trees, and have collected them here. Hopefully this resource can help you get to know the trees in your neighbourhood too.
A bit (ok, a lot) about Locusts
Cheers to the City Silver Maple
Is looking at two Horse Chestnuts even better than one?
Red Oak: Welcome to squirrel heaven
Manitoba Maples, toblers for short
Pretty Little-Leaf Lindens, of the Tilia family
Knowing the Land is Resistance 