Our Forest Stewardship Service is developed in alignment with our mission to mitigate climate change through the planting and care of new urban forests. We aim to inspire new and existing community volunteers to become urban forest stewards by providing them with the skills and knowledge required to properly care for urban trees through workshops and demonstration events. Our goal with the Forest Stewardship Service is to recognize our volunteers who keep coming back for the time and effort they have dedicated to helping our forests grow. By volunteering to partake in various tasks such as planting, tree care, seed collection, etc., you will earn digital badges for various achievements! Check out some example badges and badge-earners by clicking the badge titles below!
The way the Forest Stewardship Service works is simple: the more you volunteer with FCF, the more opportunities you’ll have to earn badges that recognize your dedication to growing and caring for our urban forests! We’ll continue adding more badges as our program expands and our volunteer community grows—so stay tuned!
- Meet our Mascot!
We couldn’t have a forest service without a trusty mascot to show us how it’s done. Meet Birchy the Badger! Birchy is an adventurous volunteer with FCF who likes to end a long day of stewardship by sitting down at the table to enjoy a big dish of teamwork with a cup of community spirit. Birchy will be here with you every step of the way as you reach new achievements and earn your badges.
START YOUR JOURNEY!
Ready to start earning badges through our Forest Stewardship Service? There are plenty of ways to get involved!
Attend Our Events
Join us for tree planting, tree care, workshops, and more! Every event is an opportunity to learn new skills and work toward your next badge.
Sign Up For Our Volunteer Mailing List
Be the first to know about upcoming volunteer opportunities and ways to earn badges!
Join Our Core Volunteer Crew
Want to volunteer on a more regular basis? Our Core Volunteer Crew is perfect for those looking to stay actively involved and work their way through badges with ongoing participation.
WAYS TO EARN BADGES
- Stewardship badges
LEVEL 1
Earn this badge by attending a Tree Care event! Learn the fundamentals of tree stewardship, from proper maintenance techniques, to identifying common urban tree stressors. This is your first step in becoming an FCF Steward!
LEVEL 2
This badge is awarded to FCF volunteers who have attended an FCF Tree Care event and/or returned to our sites to complete tree care on at least 5 separate occasions!
LEVEL 3
Commit to ongoing tree care by visiting an FCF site at least 10 times and submitting 3 Tree Care Reports. Your efforts help ensure the long-term health and success of our urban forests!
Judith and Peter have been dedicated volunteers, attending many tree care events with FCF. Their commitment has earned them the Frequent Flyer badge — recognizing those who return to our sites time and time again to help care for our trees!
- General Badges
The first badge we awarded to our volunteers was the Backwoods Botanist badge. It is awarded to volunteers who participate in a planting or tree care event at one of our more “rugged” planting sites. At the moment, our Mer Bleue site is the only one that meets this challenge!
Tag us in a post or story related to 3 different FCF-led activities, and you’ll earn the Sow-cial Butterfly badge! Share your experience, spread the word about urban forest stewardship, and inspire others to get involved — and don’t forget to follow us on social media!
The Miyawaki Legacy badge is awarded to FCF volunteers who have learned how to care for a Tiny Forest by participating in one of our Tiny Forest Stewardship workshops! The badge is named in honour of Japanese botanist Dr. Akira Miyawaki, who developed the method of afforestation we follow to plant our Tiny Forests (the Miyawaki Method). A sketch of Dr. Miyawaki is featured on the badge!
- Seed Collection Badges
Earn this badge by completing the Seed Collection Training! Learn how to identify and ethically collect native tree seeds to support future plantings and join FCF’s seed team!
Help expand our native seed stock by:
- Starting seeds from a certified collector and donating seedlings from 2 different seed lots.
OR - Reporting potential seed sources on 5 different occasions.
OR - Donating seed from 3 different seed lots.
- Starting seeds from a certified collector and donating seedlings from 2 different seed lots.
- Special Badges
This badge is awarded to volunteers who contribute to an FCF-led research project.
Currently, we’re working with the University of Guelph on a Tiny Forest biodiversity study. If you’re interested in getting involved, email us at info@foretcapitaleforest.ca, or sign up for our volunteer mailing list to stay updated on future research opportunities!
Some volunteers go the extra mile — literally! This badge is awarded to those who provide an eco-friendly method of transporting trees to and from our planting sites.
Raymond has dedicated countless hours driving to and from our planting sites in his EV to deliver thousands of trees for planting days! He has earned the special Tree Taxi badge to honour this ongoing commitment.
Simona has also dedicated many hours of her time collecting the insect and soil samples for our Tiny Forest biodiversity study with the University of Guelph. She has earned the Research Ranger badge, which we hope can be awarded to more volunteers as we continue to expand our research opportunities!
