Oak Tree Planting & High Park Celebration with Grandmother Donna

Join Taiaiako’n Historical Preservation Society, Indigenous Land Stewardship Circle, High Park Nature Centre, and forest ecologist Eric Davies to commemorate the preservation of the Land now known as High Park: a nature space in the heart of the settler city.

In 1873, settler property owner, developer, and architect John Howard and his wife, Jemima, bequeathed the Lands now known in the English tradition as High Park to the City of Toronto. High Park opened to the public 150 years ago. Since then, the public has become more aware of the significance of High Park to Indigenous peoples on whose Lands the park sits.

High Park’s Oak Savannah is a remaining fragment that represents a traditional Indigenous stewardship practice created through controlled burns. The work of THPS and the ILSC is to re-indigenize High Park, restoring the deeper Indigenous history of the Land through stewardship and teachings.

Gather around a Sacred Fire with Grandmother Donna Powless, Eric Davies, and others for song, ceremony, a potluck feast, and Oak Savannah teachings. Together, we will plant four 3-year-old Black Oak saplings grown from acorns gathered from the High Park Savannah.

For those who are inspired and have space, there will be an Oak Tree giveaway (donations accepted to support the work of the Indigenous Land Stewardship Circle). Tree pick-up will be at a later date. More details will be available at the event.

Planting tools will be provided by the High Park Nature Centre.

Special thanks to Dan Vanderkruk of AVK Nursery and Brent Forbes of Somerville Nursery for their support in growing the oak sapplings.

Event Details

Event: Oak Tree Planting & High Park Celebration with Grandmother Donna

Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026

Time: 1PM - 4PM

Meeting Point: High Park Forest School, 375 Colborne Lodge Drive

Audience: Family-friendly

Price: FREE

What to Bring

• Please dress for the weather and for working in the outdoors

• (Optional) You are welcome to bring your own gardening gloves

• Refillable water bottle

• Peanut- and nut-free snack

To help grow the Black Oak Savannah beyond High Park, 150 three-year-old oak saplings are available to the community for planting. To make the oak trees as accessible as possible, they are available free of charge, though we encourage financial contributions to the Indigenous Land Stewardship Circle by e-transfer.

Is a Black Oak Tree right for your space?
Black oaks grow best in full sun and well-drained, sandy soil. When mature, they can grow up to 20 m tall and 90 cm in diameter.We hope the trees will be planted near High Park, such as in the Taiaiako’n—Parkdale—High Park neighbourhood, to support the expansion of the savannah ecosystem beyond the park.

Steps to Request a Tree and Donate to the Indigenous Land Stewardship Circle

1. Complete the tree request form below.

2. Wait for an email confirmation that your tree(s) are available for pick-up. Trees are limited, and we may not be able to accommodate all requests.

3. Optional, though encouraged: Contribute to the Indigenous Land Stewardship Circle by e-transfer to indigenouslandstewardshipTO@gmail.com.

4. Pick up your tree(s).

Tree Request Form - High Park Celebration and Oak Tree Planting – Fill out form

Questions about oak trees, pick-up, etc., please contact Aira MacCaull at amaccaull@highparknaturecentre.com. 

Trees will be available for pick-up from the High Park Nature Centre at 375 Colborne Lodge Drive. Pick-up is only available on select dates. Please do not come to the Nature Centre to pick up a tree until you have received confirmation that a tree is available for you.Trees are only available for pick-up; delivery is not available.

Special Thanks to the Volunteer Tree Growers
These special trees have been grown by local forest ecologist Eric Davies, along with Dan VanderKruk of AVK Nursery and Brent Forbes of Somerville Nursery. A big THANK YOU to Eric, Dan, and Brent for volunteering their time and resources to nurture the trees and making them available for this special occassion.