From Friday, Oct. 4 to Sunday, Oct. 6, Western University hosted their first-ever Forest City Tree Festival. Open to the public, the free three-day festival encouraged the London community to participate in environmental activism and forest education through seed-planting events, activity booths and informative panels.

The coordinator of the festival is Brendon Samuels, a Western PhD candidate. In partnership with the Western Sustainability Fund and community initiatives, festival events and panels took place at various locations across Western, including Westminster Parking Lot, Middlesex College, Wampum Learning Lodge and D.B. Weldon Library.

On the second day of the festival, organisers hosted community events focusing on plant and seed swaps, along with non-invasive tree education at Westminster from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The seed swap event required advanced registration due to limited spots. Participants were instructed to bring their own native plants and seeds.

The initiative provided attendees with the opportunity to get involved with tree planting, discover the role of trees and forests in London, and learn about invasive and non-invasive species.

Marnie Demand, Urban Forestry Planner for the City of London, says, “[These events] are important to raise awareness of not only invasive species, but also of the many environmental groups in the area.”

Attendees visited booths from ReForest London, Bird Friendly London, Friends of the Gardens, the London Environmental Network (LEN) and more.

The organizations were there to inform visitors about their environmental urban missions and goals to make London a greener city, emphasising the importance of London citizens being informed and active in environmentalist practices.

Jasmin Skinner, Community Engagement Specialist at London Environmental Network, highlighted the need for the London community to be informed about their environmental goals and city involvement.

The London Environmental Network is a non-profit charity organisation working to make London one of the greenest and most resilient cities in Canada. The organization has been active since 2015 and “providing more tangible environmental change,” as said by Skinner.

“There are a lot of people here who are excited about making positive change, helping the earth and London become more climate resilient,” says Skinner. “Despite what you may hear in the media, many of us are passionate about environmentalism, biodiversity and native planning.”

Western students and locals alike participated in the community programs throughout the day. Students expressed the desire to learn more about the London environment and their role in maintaining it.

Brooke English, second-year student at Western, says, “For the London community, I think supporting local businesses and people around the community who are helping to preserve the environment is really important.”

Other event contributors included local food truck New Leaf, which offered vegan plant-based food options and information on their sustainable food practices, and London musician Zachary Burden, who provided entertainment with live music.

When asked about plans to participate in similar events in the future, Skinner says, “There will always be environmentally focused activities in London, you just have to know how to find them.”