On Saturday, September 13, ReForest London welcomed over 500 guests to its final Celebration Forest Tree Planting Ceremony, marking the conclusion of a naturalization project that has brought comfort, connection, and community to thousands of Londoners over the past 15 years.
The Celebration Forest — a six-hectare green space situated near ReForest London’s headquarters in the Westminster Ponds Environmentally Significant Area — was first established in 2011 in partnership with the London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s Health Care London. The program allows individuals from London and surrounding areas to donate “Tree Gifts” in memory or celebration of loved ones, then invites Tree Gift recipients to the Celebration Forest to plant their trees in the fall.
This year’s attendees planted over 100 native trees, including white cedars, black maples, and balsam firs, with some added personal touches. Children and adults alike painted tribute rocks, posed for photos in a photo frame crafted from fallen leaves and branches, and shared stories under a canopy of mature trees — many of which were planted by other families in years past.
Since the inaugural Tree Planting Ceremony on Sunday, May 29th, 2011, the Celebration Forest has transformed from a modest forest patch into a thriving, living legacy of remembrance and renewal. “We are incredibly proud of what the Celebration Forest program has achieved — not only in helping to green our city, but in bringing our community together,” said Julia Hammer, Fundraising Coordinator and organizer of this year’s Tree Planting Ceremony. “A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported the program over the years. Together, we’ve grown a healthy, native forest that deepens our connection to one another and to nature.”
This final ceremony was made possible thanks to the generosity of our Tree Gift donors, the dedication of our core volunteers, and the support of our sponsors: The Achievement Centre, Convertus, Enbridge Gas, GreenTech Painting, KPMG Canada, the Montessori Academy of London, Nicholson Sheffield Architects, RBC, the Tea Haus, Wizards of Video, and Woodland Cemetery. Your contributions continue to help us grow and steward London’s urban forest – today and for generations to come.
Although the Celebration Forest project has ended, the Tree Gift program will continue in 2026. We look forward to sharing new ways for our community to plant trees in memory and celebration of loved ones. Stay tuned for more news in the coming months!
