One year ago today we launched Tree of the Week and asked Toronto Star readers to tell us about the big, beautiful and meaningful trees in their lives.Since that first story, we’ve received hundreds of emails, dozens of phone calls and many heartfelt handwritten letters about a beloved or remarkable tree.Many of these stories feature a tree close to someone’s home, maybe a backyard maple or a white oak in a front garden that is loved like family.Some stories describe neighbourhood trees that serve as landmarks or gathering places, while others pay tribute to trees that grow in the parks, school yards and public spaces of the city. A few express gratitude to the towering trees that stand sentinel on family farms.The stories celebrate not only the beauty and resilience of trees, but also reveal how trees forge connections — within a community, between family and across generations.As we mark the one-year anniversary of the much-loved series, we want to say thank you for following along and sharing your own tree stories. Now that we’re heading into the colder winter months, the feature will appear monthly. Meanwhile, here is a look back at some highlights from Tree of the Week. First tree: Julie Hagan of Scarborough kicked off the series, telling us about the massive northern red oak that grows on the front lawn of her home on Avalon Blvd. One year later, she writes again to say: “The Avalon Oak still watches over our street, a few less branches from windstorms but still majestic. As I read the series over the past year, it has been a joy to see how loved and cherished our neighbourhood trees are. Spring, summer, fall and winter, these trees keep us grounded and in touch with the beauty of nature.” Biggest tree: This crack willow on Ward’s Island, a well-known landmark for Island residents and visitors, is the biggest of the trees profiled so far in Tree of the Week, with a trunk circumference of 6.7 m or 22 feet (we believ ...
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