Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Toronto Tree: Toronto Mike'd Podcast Episode 1717

Episode Date: June 23, 2025

In this 1717th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike chats with Toronto Tree. Well actually, trees can't talk, so speaking on Toronto Tree's behalf is Certified Arborist Professor Elwood Pricklethorn. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Ridley Funeral Home, Toronto Maple Leafs Baseball, Yes We Are Open, Nick Ainis and RecycleMyElectronics.ca. If you would like to support the show, we do have partner opportunities available. Please email Toronto Mike at [e-mail]

If a tree falls in the woods and no one's around, does it make a sound? Absolutely! But Bart, how can sound exist if there's no one there to hear it? Welcome to episode 1717 of Toronto Miked, proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery a fiercely independent craft brewery who believes in supporting communities good times and brewing amazing beer order online for free local home delivery in the GTA home a pasta enjoy the taste of fresh homemade Italian pasta and entrees from Paul ma pasta in Mississauga and Oakville. Yes we are open!

An award winning podcast from Monaris hosted by FOTM Al Greggo. Toronto Maple Leafs Baseball. Get your butts to Christie Pitts this summer for the best baseball in the city outside the dome. RecycleMyElectronics.ca committing committing to our planet's future, means properly recycling our electronics of the past. Building Toronto Skyline, a podcast and book from Nick Ienies, sponsored by Fusion Corporate Construction Management Inc. and Ridley Funeral home, pillars of the community since 1921. Today, making their Toronto Mike debut. It's Toronto Tree and speaking on behalf of Toronto Tree,

because trees can't talk. It's Professor Elwood Pricklethorn. Welcome professor. Hey, great to be here, Mike. I speak for the trees. You are going to be the, uh, the proxy, if you proxy if you will you're going to speak on behalf of Toronto tree But can we just get to know you a little better who exactly is? Professor Elwood prickle thorn

Professor Elwood prickle thorn brings fun to trees He is a educator that fun to trees. He is a educator that does tree presentations for children of all ages, Mike. You were literally, Professor, you were speaking to like kindergarten age kids at a school in Toronto earlier today. Correct, yep, up in Bayview, Bayview Avenue, and yeah it was kindergarten and grades one and two. Very hot morning but it was a really cool because trees were involved. Well we're getting so just to set the table for the listenership we're gonna

talk about Toronto tree and I'm gonna explain what's Toronto tree for those who don't know and if you don't know you don't know but you're gonna know in a minute and we're gonna talk about what you know you're gonna educate us like the importance of urban trees. I want to tell you, Professor Elwood Pricklethorn, that the last time I had this same sensation I have now where I'm not sure where the professor ends and Warren begins is when I had Ed the sock on the program. Right.

I can see that. Yeah. Ed was on and I wanted to talk to Ed, but I realized there are questions I have that need to be answered by Steve Kersner. And we did this whole theatrical thing where Ed went to move his car, I think, or, or maybe it was the other way around. And then we had him both on. So I'm going to speak to you as professor Elwood prickle thorn, but you have a road manager who might chime in now and then and your road

manager is Warren. Host Hosselton. Yes, Hosselton. So there's a Warren Hosselton and there's a professor Elwood prickle thorn and never the two shall meet in poker style. Correct. There's some cross pollination cross grains, you know, but yeah, we're never seen in the same room, Mike.

Okay. I have notes because I'm going to just to build you up, professor, and then we're going to dive into the Toronto tree story. And then we're going to talk about, you know, the importance of trees and stuff like that. You graduated from Humber College horticulture and Aboriculture. You had a diploma. This is in the late sevents, early 80s, like you are a certified arborist. Absolutely, I'm certified through the International Society of Aboriculture, which is a worldwide

organization that preaches best practices, professionalism in the tree world, aboriculture. No laughing matter, professor, because in 2013 you were the recipient of the International Society of Abora Culture's Ontario chapters Maple Leaf Award. This is a prestigious award. Sure is, no it's a... It is good I wasn't sure. It is okay good. Yeah with volunteerism and working with people and and you know extolling about trees. Love. Okay, and you I mean you were the tree fun volunteer of the year. You won that award in 2014, right? Yeah, that's just I just kept on doing what I'm doing with trees It's it's kind of self-serving because I really enjoy doing it Mike. Well, it's gonna be all about trees on this episode This is a great episode and it's Toronto tree and then Toronto trees where maybe the T is not

capitalized. Okay. It's not a proper name. I have a feeling it's going to be a tremendous presentation here. Where's that sign? Did you bring it in or was it just for the photo? I can bring it in later.

But yeah, it's okay. You don't need to bring it in, but the professor had this great sign, tremendous, a tremendous sign you mentioned before I press record that you listened to the most recent episode of Toronto mic'd and there was some talk from Josh Matlow, a new FOTM, about a gondola that would get you to the island. What are your thoughts on this? Well Mike, I worked on the island for almost 25 years. The professor

also has a secret lab there. I'm not gonna divulge too much about that. Where's the tree research? Is it where the lighthouse is? Yeah, right in there. I'm not gonna divulge too much about that. Where's the tree research? Is it where the lighthouse is? I wanna know. Yeah, right in there. Yeah, involving tree research. But no, the gondola idea, the cable car, would be amazing, I think.

Because not only would it be practical for like a commute for island residents, but it'd also be like a great tourism attraction as well. My wife and I were recently in Mexico City in the winter and there was a fairly new cable car gondola system there and we were on it probably for about seven kilometers went to the furthest point came in and that's people use that the commute and as he as he said you don't need a big footprint you don't need to disrupt or dig you know tunnels or you know cut down a bunch of wood lots to make it happen.

You know, hearing you speak to the gondola idea that Josh is proposing, I'm now in them. I want to be officially on the record. I'm in favour of the gondola. I would love that method of transportation to get to the island. Pretty straightforward. I'd started out somewhere right near Sugar Beach, then I'd go to the Portlands, along the Portlands. One stop at Wards Island, all the way down the centre with near Sugar Beach, then I'd go to the Portlands, along the Portlands. One stop at Wards Island, all the way down the centre

with a stop there, then back you come. Kind of like an L shape or a U shape that brings you back down to Sugar Beach. By the way, I've been told by the official Toronto historian, Jay Ho, who's on the live stream, that I've already mispronounced your name, and my humble apologies to you, Professor Prickle Thorn. I believe I referred to you erroneously as a Pickleworth or

is Prickleworth or something like that. It's Prickle Thorn. Yeah, Prickle Thorn. It's important we get that right, Professor Elwood Prickle Thorn here. And again, you mentioned you worked on the island for a good long time. You, let's not be humble here before we dive into the Toronto Tree story. You were the City of Toronto Park Supervisor for the Toronto Island. I was. I was blessed. It was just the perfect job for me.

I was born and raised in a small town, Coburg, Ontario, about an hour and a half east of here on the shores of Lake Ontario. Ended up on the island during amalgamation and, you know, worked there worked there with you know all sorts of different agencies and the city staff and the community and we got some stuff done. Well here's a couple of connections to the island. First of all I got a buddy who was like the head firefighter on the island until they forced him to retire at the age of whatever they

forced you to retire 60, 65 or something like that. And my, my daughter, I just want to shout out my daughter who did work at the camps, the YMCA Toronto Island camp for years. Unbelievable. Because I've been at that camp. Professor prickle thorn has been at that camp for the last three years. So she's, I'm trying to think of it was probably a couple of years since she did work there, but literally like she's going today. She's coming from Montreal

to Toronto, because I'm going to be hanging with her at TMLX 19, which is taking place Thursday. Professor, are you able to be at Great Lakes Brewery? That's 30 Queen Elizabeth Boulevard in South Etobicoke from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday. Are you available? I believe I am. Okay, will you be in full professor guise? Like will you have on the... If security allows me in. Yeah, it can be pretty intimidating, Mike. Well here's what I'm gonna do. I'm going to make sure that your first beer from Great Lakes is on the house.

Wow. And that goes for all listeners as well. But I am gonna send you home, professor, with some fresh craft beer from Great Lakes Brewery. Hydration is critical on a day like this. That's right. That's right. Well, we'll get to that too. I have three questions about that.

But I want to let people know that it is happening this Thursday. Snow is confirmed. A lot of people are saying, will snow be there? Snow is confirmed. He's excited about it. And he's going to be telling some stories. You got to be there, man, for the snow orbit there. Snow is confirmed, he's excited about it and he's going to be telling some stories. You got to be there man for the snow orbit there. But Palma Pasta will be there to feed everybody. So come hungry. Professor, I'm going to send you home with a large lasagna

that's in my freezer right now. Amazing. That's what you're here for, right Professor? Yes, absolutely. I'm here for the lasagna. Did you say you don't eat it? No, I probably don't need it I'm here for the lasagna. Did you say you don't eat it? No, I probably don't need it. Oh, I... Yeah.

I thought you said I don't eat it. No, that's the problem. And I'm like, well, I'm not giving it to you then. That's the problem. Well, you know what? There's worse things, okay? Comfort food. Okay, so let's, when I got a note from you,

of course you're a certified arborist, so you're gonna speak about the specific Toronto tree, as soon as I explain where that name came from and a little info about Toronto tree. But you also mentioned you were a longtime Toronto Mike fan. When did you discover this podcast, Professor? Probably a couple years ago, Mike, and it's a funny thing. I have to admit, like I, when I see your roster of the speakers on the list, I tend to generally tune in to the names that I know, but I probably should have a wider scope and tune in to everybody because same as my name pops up there, I'm kind of under the radar and somebody like me is going

to say, hey, I'm not going to tune in to this. Well, let's put it this way. I'm not going to say Warren Hosselton, right? This isn't Warren Hosselton. I'll be putting Professor Elwood Prickle Thorne. That pops. I feel like people need to know. But I will say I've heard from listeners who did what you do, which is cherry pick the names they know.

But then tried episodes of people they didn't know and told me that they made the time to tell me they learned about new people and found it just as interesting like I think that is a mistake like I think you will learn I try to make every guest interesting I think you should start listening to episodes even if you've never heard the name I'm gonna do that like for example do you know the name Ashley McKisick yes a musician okay so you know so he was on last week just before Josh Matlow and he's a fiddler. Yes.

And that episode is absolute bananas. Professor, you'll love it. He's coaster, right? Yep. He's in a Cape Breton. Yeah. I, I'm going to scroll back. Okay. And I'm going to stop reading your like a bio because it would take all hour because you want, you know, the, uh, on the Ontario chapter of the International Society of Aboriculture's honorary lifetime membership award. You're Toronto Island Community Tree Trust

chapter board member. You mentioned your work with the YMCA summer camp that my daughter worked at. I'll be asking her about you tomorrow. You're an all around tremendous guy who cares about trees and you want others to understand them and care about them too. Right, yeah, they're just not like a static green appliance in front of your

house or in your backyard in the they really contribute to a healthier community and I mean that like physically and mentally they their infrastructure they're like a soft infrastructure that really improve our communities. So we're gonna open with Toronto Tree, a very specific tree that we will be taking a photo in front of and then we'll talk about, you know, city urban trees in general and all the benefits. So listeners, keen listeners know that the name Toronto Tree was coined by Dave Thomas from SCTV fame. I didn't have a name for this tree. This is the tree in front of my house.

But at some point in, I don't know, the early 100s, episodes of, we're at 17 something now, but the early 100s, I realized I would take a selfie with a guest in front of my tree, in the front, on the boulevard. And it became one of those things that became a rule. Like every guest who visits is gonna take this photo with me so now there's like I don't know what there is now over 1,500 such photos or something but there was

no name and then Dave Thomas would see all these photos you know oh there's there's I know this guy this guy these are all people by that he called it Toronto tree because I am Toronto Mike so Toronto tree named by Dave Thomas a few facts about Toronto tree and then Dave Thomas. A few facts about Toronto Tree and then you're gonna tell us more about Toronto Tree. One is that fruit used to fall from this tree. It was actually a big mess. Like you'll speak to what the fruit was,

but it stopped falling at some point. So at some point over the last several years, the fruit stopped growing and falling. Like I no longer have the, I used to have a shovel and it was a major cleanup to pick up all this fruit off the sidewalk because people would slip on it or whatever. The fruit stopped falling. So that was concerning to me.

But then more concerning to me, professor, is that in August, I think it was about August, but maybe it was even late July, Toronto tree would start, the brown leaves would start to fall in the middle of summer, okay? And I would literally have to rake up my leaves in early August. I'm not an arborist, but this was concerning to me too.

It's like, why is, and you're going to speak to everything in a moment, why the heck am I picking up my leaves? That's Dave Thomas right now. He wants to make sure we gave him credit for, here we got the professor, he's getting a call. Yes, yeah, he got it. He got it, okay. Dave Thomas says thank you for the credit for that name

because I was gonna steal credit. Okay, so fruit stopped falling, brown leaves now fall in like August, maybe July even, and the last point is that it still does its bloom for one week a year. That's maybe a little less than about five days a year. This tree is gorgeous, like a full bloom, big color. It is the most beautiful thing you've ever seen for like five days a year. And it's still doing that.

So I just want to shout out Toronto Tree that it hasn't given up that ghost yet. Now, we pass the mic to you, Professor Elwood Pricklethorn, tell me everything I need to know about Toronto Tree. Mike, it is a crabapple tree. That's the fruit, crabapple. Yep, crabapple. Generally, this is like a WTF scenario, why trees fail. They typically live 50 to 60 years. So when you think of it,

the best before date is behind us now, right? It's probably in its 40th, 50th year. It's elderly. Yes, it's elderly. And it's losing some of its vigor. And trees generally fail when they start losing resources, whether that be water. They need three things to live, water, nutrients, CO2, and sunlight. It's got the sunlight, it's got carbon dioxide.

But the thing is with water and nutrients, it could be a little pinched on that given its age as well. And sometimes like city trees really struggle to translocate the waters and nutrients within them. There could have been like, I don't know the history, but was there sidewalks put in recently in the last 10, 20 years? No. So I should point out, I only know Toronto tree down for 12 years. So I don't know what happened before that. There could be some history there.

But as again, the urban trees have a lot of challenges. Not that you'd ever do this, but people tend to bang their lawnmowers along them, line trim on the bottom of them. And all of the most vital tissues, the xylem and phloem, are just inside the bark. And it's fatal to do like line trimming around trees and lawn moring. And there's a thing, you didn't do that out there, but called volcano mulching,

where people put a mulch in a volcano form up against a tree. And all these things challenge trees and they weaken them. And it kind of like humans, when we get weak, we're susceptible to diseases. Well, with trees, it's diseases, pests, which are all very opportunistic, and we'll move in and weaken them. But it's even more prevalent when they are

in their senior years, just like us. So that tree is definitely a senior tree. So when you when you look at the tree, what's your best guess? Are we talking, so your best guess is that that's a 45 year old tree? What do you think? Yeah I think around 45. Yep. Just a kid. Well no it's 60 is it's gonna be firewood. See I didn't know this so can I tell you right now you've already blown my mind. To me trees last hundreds of years.

Some trees. But not these crabapple trees. And again, city trees are very challenged. Urban trees, typically they live maybe like 50 years, an urban tree. Interesting. It's just all of the challenges, like the soil, the compaction, the heat islands of the road and the sidewalk that are beside them. So I have another question. We're going to have a lot of questions for you, Professor, but there was a period of

time when a woodpecker was going hardcore on Toronto Tree. Would that have, I'm just saying, I noticed some degradation in the quality of life Toronto Tree was experiencing after this period of time when this woodpecker decided to do its thing. Looking for nerves probably. Yeah. Little bugs and... But I can show you the hole later. Like there's literally this and I was like, oh no, this I didn't know what to do.

Like I don't want to mess up a woodpecker in nature. But I'm like this woodpecker is killing Toronto tree. Right, right. Yeah. And no, he's just trying to profit off of the tree's problems. So the tree probably had some insects on it and the woodpecker comes in and no, he's just trying to profit off of the trees problems So the tree probably had some insects on it and the woodpecker comes in and again the trees getting bullied right by disease pests Yep, right, right. So yeah, they're just Once they're kind of over their their peak they they it stopped fruiting it stopped flowering and now You know as it does that flower thing like I will yeah, I will be flowering and now you know does that flower thing like I will yeah I will be calling Brad Jones at Ridley Funeral Home when the flowering stops I'm gonna

feel that's a bad sign no shout out to Ridley Funeral Home I do have a measuring tape for you professor is awesome because we could do it if you know before we go we'll do the diameter of the trunk diameter I was told size doesn't matter the size matter but not really no thank God I was told size doesn't matter. Does size matter? Not really, no. Thank God, I was told that multiple times. Metric or Imperial. I only speak metric on this program. Metric, great band.

Yes, Emily Hayes. Yes, and Emily's sister is an FOTM like you, Avery Hayes. Sure, Avery. I met Emily way back on Toronto Island because Metric did at least two or three performances on the island Virgin Music Festival and yeah they're amazing. Yeah and they went to a topical school the arts which is not very far from where Toronto Tree lives. Wow another connection. Yeah and Amy Millan was dear friends with uh with her and Amy Millan went on to be in Stars.

Wow Stars you're a great Toronto band. Great band, great Toronto band, yeah. Can we just circle back to Ridley? Where would Ridley be without pine boxes that come from trees? Right! See, another connection. And now that you've mentioned the pine boxes that come from trees, I need to tell you that Ridley Funeral Home only sells Canadian caskets. Most funeral homes in the city, they're selling American caskets.

Only Canadian caskets at Ridley Fun in the city, they're selling American caskets. Only Canadian caskets at Ridley Funeral Home. Fine Canadian lumber. Yeah, jeez. I'm glad you're here, Professor. Okay, so before we move on to trees in general, I need, because you know, my Toronto tree is like my fifth child, okay? I care very much for it. How much time? Give it to me straight, Doctor. I can take it. Well, I was pleased to see they're doing work on your road out there and they've done like proper fencing for root zone protection. Yes, sir.

And that's by the City of Toronto Urban Forestry By-Law and Protection crew. So they would have had to get a permit and they come out and fence them off. So that was really good to see. But there are things that you could do to expand the life of the tree. Well, tell me. Something like mulching. You could stir up back some of the turf and put in mulch, like a wood mulch. And what that does is it replicates the forest floor, basically as opposed to turf, which is kind of greedy because that's going to be taking water and nutrients.

But if you peel back that turf and replace it with a thin one to two inch layer of mulch, it may add more aeration, allow for a better exchange of gas and air and water and maybe extend the life of the tree. Well, I'll do what it takes, Professor. Okay. No, that's great. Is there any way to reverse the two big things I noticed lately, which is the fruit? Like I feel like it's the fact that stopped dropping fruit is that a, that's a bad sign. That's like an elderly tree late stage of its life. It's just that I'm done with this fruit nonsense.

You just can't turn back the clock on that one. Can't turn that one back. Oh my goodness. You're breaking my heart. But what about the drop in brown leaves in the, why am I the only guy on the street raking his brown leaves in the summer? I don't know how to say this, but it's kind of like the gray hair.

You can't, you can't turn it back, Mike. It's just, it's aging. It's a process and it just has to, you know, cycle on, march on. So. What happens when, like, does a tree just eventually die or does this because the city owns this tree, right? Yeah on the Boulevard. So will the city at some point say we're gonna plant a new tree

They would assess it and look number one They look for hazards like dead branches over the sidewalk or the road so that's always like the guiding principle is hazards and Yeah, there's probably a program that principle as hazards. And yeah, there's probably a program that they wrote, rotate through on replanting, but that's a ways off yet. But I'm sure you can do some cultural practices to extend the life of that tree. Okay, that's a good tip on the mulching. Now I feel like I'm hijacking the Toronto tree analysis from you. Back to you, but is there anything else I should know? So like

is this type of tree, this is a very common tree in Toronto. Right. I know in Etobicoke back, and I believe it was 1967, they had some sort of program where they planted lots of crabapple trees. Like a centennial. Yes, like a project, yep. And it went across. And the trouble with that is that it's a monoculture. And when you plant too much of one thing, Guildwood Park, the East end of Toronto, Guildwood. My buddy, Cam Gordon, half of team Hall of Famer, he got married near there, I guess.

Is that near Guild Inn? Guild Inn. In that whole neighborhood, they planted white ash trees. And then the emerald ash borer came along and they had to clear cut that whole area, I don't know, like four miles by four miles, whatever it was. I only speak metric remember. Four, six point, yes. Anyway they had to clear cut that whole neighborhood because it had the Emerald Ash Borer and as opposed to if they did

like every fifth tree. Diversity is our strength. Not only with trees but with people. Right. We know that. Okay, so we did a lot, Tobacco back in just, you know, before my time, 1967, did a lot of these, sorry, what's it called again? Crab apple. Yeah, yeah, flowering crabs, yeah. But those aren't apples, they look like cherries.

They're fruits, they're fruits. And there's over 7,000 varieties of apple trees. Like a couple of weeks ago, I was at the Johnny Appleseed Museum in Urbana, Ohio, for a big Apple Blossom Festival. And I always thought that Johnny Appleseed was a cartoon character, like a fictional, but it was a real person, Johnny Chapman, John Chapman, that went across like a fictional, but it was a real person, Johnny Chapman, John Chapman, that went across America planting apple seeds. And he didn't do cuttings because he thought

that would bring harm to the tree. So he had one variety of apple that he planted seeds and cared for them and started orchards. And he was big into cider. And that was one of the main drivers of his program of planting apple seeds was cider. I'm gonna recommend a song if you don't know it already, but Joe Strummer from the clash, right? He had a band post clash called Joe Strummer in the mescaleros

They have a song called Johnny Appleseed love this song In fact, shout out to Garejoys me and him share an affinity for a very short lived HBO show that used the Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, Johnny Appleseed as its theme song. Anyways, I love this song, Johnny Appleseed by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros. That's amazing. That's free. Professor, that tip is free. Okay.

I'm going to have to follow up on that and give it a good listen. I love tree songs. So I mean I find it interesting though, having lived in this neighborhood for a while, that there are so many of these crabapple trees because they're annoying, Professor. Mine stopped dropping the fruit, but prior to that, you know, sad demise there, it really is a lot of rotting fruit on sidewalks for weeks in the fall. And that will bring wasps and aphids and... Who had the bright idea that we'll go hard on this most annoying of the trees? Yeah, especially in a street situation. Like in a park it's kind of different, but when you're

dropping out... Sidewalks there. Yeah, yeah, you're making jam. Like, have we learned from our mistakes is what I'm wondering. You're a certified arborist. Let's hope, yeah, we get better at this. We're, you know, we get, move the ball down the field as we say and best practices. So I'm gonna ask you about the benefits of urban trees and I'm gonna listen closely. But first, I have a question about the heat. Okay, so and this may tie into the answer to that question, but we're having a couple of day heat wave here. This is like day two of like, I don't know, one of those feels like 45 deals, okay?

So Baker. Although not, I will just shed out the lake, okay? Because I did a ride yesterday and today by the lake and I never felt too hot. Like I had a cool breeze on me the whole time like the lake and you know this from the Toronto Island it's a game-changer get to the lake if you can I know not everybody can but do our trees suffer when there's a long period of you know feels like 45 is it can you bake a tree can it be too hot for a tree absolutely trees are almost

if you think about a wick trees trees transpire water. They pull it from the ground and they transpire through the surface of the leaf. And one of the things I tell the kids is in the summer, if you take a clear plastic bag and you put it over the end of a branch, within 24 hours, there'll be moisture inside. And that's the tree transpiring the water. Big trees can do thousands of liters of water in a season. See I did liters there for you. Thank you. Yeah and

so yeah trees are always transpiring water so when it comes in short supply their struggle they really struggle so that's you know this morning my message was to the kids to get out and water young trees if they see newly planted trees in their park take a five- gallon pail, give it a dump. I gotta say, I never ever watered Toronto tree. Like I just let nature take its course on that. That might be helpful. Because again, it's competing with turf.

You know, it's pretty harsh out there. You got the heat off the road. So you could make it a better life, a more comfortable life for that tree. I feel like I've been, I've been underserving my Toronto tree. Okay, I'm learning a lot here. You can do better, Mike. Let me shout out the partners here before we go into all these

benefits and why urban trees are important and all that exciting stuff and then I have more questions about you. You know it sounds like you're speaking to students like how can I mean we're at the end of the school year but for next year maybe how can schools like book the professor and if you want the professor to come talk, I will say when people see the photo of the professor and I by Toronto Tree, they're gonna see the professor's got a cool look. He's got a Lego bow tie. Professors got like crazy hair.

I usually have crazy hair, but Andy the barber brought it down. Did you see photos of me with my typical crazy hair? What's your preference? The you got the happy medium here because you got some crazy up top you think it's crazy I'm actually feeling like a little naked up here like you're fine like lost my power You're tight on the sides. Yeah down to the wood as they say Okay, cuz I was at a an event none of it some I was invited to somebody's house where I was hanging with some people and

The owner of the home told me that I look so much better Fresh from a haircut like this I felt at the end of that chat like maybe I look like crap most of the time like I finally he was telling me I'm TV ready. He was going on and on and And I'm like, oh, because I, I'll tell you the truth. I felt Andy went too short and I was disappointed. I had lost like some of my Samson and Delilah, like some of my super power. Do you find that the bike helmet is a little loose now?

Oh, you know what? You gotta strap it in. No joke. I had to adjust it significantly because I had so much thick hair and then it got brought down. It did change like three sizes. You're 100% right, that exactly happened.

Okay, so let's be right, let's all do this properly. Let's subscribe to Yes We Are Open, which is an award-winning podcast from Minaris. We love El Grego, we love the podcast Yes We Are Open, and they've been doing this three months on, three months off thing, Minaris. So we're actually in the last week of the three months. So I'm gonna miss talking about Monaris,

but it's not too late for you to subscribe to season eight, where Al went to Regina, Saskatchewan, and he collected inspiring stories from small business owners. I will be seeing Al on Thursday at TMLX 19 at Great Lakes Brewery. Everybody should come out because snow will be there to just to bring it into the orbit and a lot of other great people like Rob Bruce,

Al Gregor, you don't know who's going to show up at these things. It sounds like we may have a visit from my new esteemed FOTM, Professor Elwood Pricklethorn, that's going to happen. While you're subscribing to podcasts, subscribe to Building Toronto's Skyline from Nick Ienies. He did a couple of great episodes about the condo market. It seems to be frozen right now. How that happened, how that can change. I found it fascinating. I also love the fact that I can go to recyclemyelectronics.ca. I can put in my postal code and find out where I can drop old electronics, old devices, old

cables to get it properly recycled. So people should take note. Recyclemyelectronics.ca. Question came in for you from J-Ho and then I'm going to give you a history book because J-Ho is the historian here. Jeho says, do you have any comments, Professor, about the maple leaf forever tree? Down in Leslieville? Yes, I'm gonna say yes.

Yes. That came down, it came down a few years back, I believe. I believe they tried to restore it and give it a longer life, but I think if my memory serves me correct, the storm took it down. And I know they milled some of the wood to make legacy pieces and furniture. Other than that, I'd like a bat made out of that wood. I feel like that would be my wonder my wonder boy that would yeah that would yeah the planets would align with the bat made from that but i don't know if they ever did any cuttings from it to create another legacy tree from it i'm not sure about that so i when i have my wonder boy bat made out

of that that wood i'm going to see if I can get maybe a roster spot on the Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team. They play at Christie Pitts best baseball in the city outside the dome. Professor this book here will tell you the history of Toronto Maple Leafs baseball. You're gonna love it buddy. Now did they ever did they play on the island was that the same team? It's the same so it's the same team right but different league So now they're in the inter county baseball league But that is because on the island when they played on the island that's where babe Ruth famously hit his first professional home run Home run with the Providence Grays. I believe it was 1914 you were there. Yeah, I have the ball

I went out to the light. Yeah, I'm still looking for that ball professor view the ball. I produce it to the lake. Yeah, unbelievable. They're still looking for that ball professor. If you have the ball, you have to produce it for me. It's a little soggy. It's a little soggy. You're at the game. You dove into Lake Ontario. Yeah, you do know your island. So, so they moved, my understanding is they were on the island. Yeah, then they moved to where Tip Top Tailors went that city side. Yeah. And they played there. And then they, I guess, they've been playing at Christie Pitt since I think like 69. It is on the cover of the book. So this iteration of the Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team in the IBL the Inter-County Baseball League since 1969 and you know best value in town you you have a you get to the hill on Christie Pitts You take in some amazing baseball grab a hut I always say had to grab a hot dog get yourself a Leafs logger and enjoy the game.

Sounds good. That's an order for you, professor. Okay, start educating me. Educate the listeners. Why are trees important in a big city like Toronto? Well, they are critical to our well-being every breathing moment of the day. They are, as I alluded to earlier, they're green infrastructure. They filter our air. They help mitigate sound issues. They are cooling.

They like, you look at some of the pictures and data about streets that have trees, that versus streets that don't have trees. There's also The benefit they've done like satellite imagery and looking at they find in major cities where there's more trees there's less crime Where there's more trees there's less there's more recreation people are more apt to recreate Hiking and being outdoors where there's more trees, there's less cardiac, respiratory issues, type two diabetes.

And that kind of goes back to what made me set up as a young student in boriculture was Texas A&M University in the late 70s did a study. And the conclusion was if you were sick in the hospital and you were able to look out the window and see greener and trees, you would heal faster, need less medicine, get out of the hospital sooner. So this is now an active part in hospitals.

A lot of hospitals have horticultural therapists that work with patients and trees and greenery and flowers as all part of your therapy to recover. But yeah, the benefits of trees just go on and on and the lumber, the fruit, the protein from the nuts, and yeah. So a couple of those points, those are all great points. I mean, now I'm thinking, why do I only have one Toronto tree? There must be room out there for a couple more.

Come on, can't the city put three in that boulevard? I think you can apply, Mike. You can get on the- I gotta get, you knowvard? I think you can apply Mike, you can get on the... I gotta get, you know what, I need new ones to be planted to grow because I'm... Sounds like I'm gonna lose Toronto tree. I honestly, I... this is the truth. I think if and when, because I did not realize till you dropped by Professor that these trees only have 50 to 60 years in them. I completely, I'm being, I was blindsided by that, okay? 50 to 60 years, goes by in a heartbeat, okay? I need a contingency plan,

and when Toronto Tree does pass away, and I don't even know what that looks like, I don't know if that means the city comes and like digs it up or something, chops it down, you'll come, you're an arborist. You'll take care of it. It's a funeral for a tree. Well, this is where I'm going.

I absolutely will be talking to the good people at Ridley Funeral Home. We will need to have some kind of a ceremony and have something to say goodbye properly. Closure. I'll have Brad Jones will be there. It'll be a whole Ridley funeral closure, Ridley Funeral Home, absolutely.

The Toronto tree will be remembered forever. All of the greats have been photographed including the professor. Okay. So a couple of the points I find very interesting is the sound. Okay. I did an episode with a woman named Ingrid Buday about how loud Toronto is. Like there needs to be better enforcement of bylaws for the noise. And she talks mainly it talks about, I don't know if you noticed, but cars are getting louder. Like they do the sudden loud noise, right?

And you know, there's no enforcement of the bylaw in that and it wakes you up at three in the morning because your condo is near the garden or whatever, whatever. So we talked a lot about the sound issues. It is very interesting that I hear that trees reduce the sound, like are they absorbing the sound waves? Yeah, and they buff it. It'd almost be like designing a perfect music hall

when you think of it or a concert venue, that if they have like hard, flat concrete walls, that the sound will just bounce and like forever bounce back and forth. But if you change that the buffeting by different sized trees and different shapes of trees, yeah, it will definitely absorb and deflect and you know, especially in your highways and as you say like transit corridors and to plant them properly with the right tree in the right place.

It can really help. Okay, and then related to that and I did read a piece on this many years ago about the correlation between green space and temperature and how it was so much, we talked about the lake effect, right? That Toronto is so massive and so big, you can't just say, oh, it's going to feel like 45. Like it's going to feel like 45 here, here it's going to feel like 40 40, here we're gonna feel like a cool 32 over here by the lake or whatever. But the parts of this city with less green space, less trees are absolutely warmer than the parts near green space and trees.

Yeah, the little heat islands they call them. Like yeah, and if we have more trees and shading, and the other thing it does too is like it protects us from the UV of the sun. Like if we have more trees and shading, and the other thing it does too is like, it protects us from the UV of the sun. Like if we have more shaded areas, especially in, you know, times like this when it's like, you know, 45 out, heat of the day. Yeah, it just gives us more coverage and keeps things a lot cooler. So what can we do as a city? Like, should we be planting more trees? Like tell me what we should do as a city? Like should we be planting more trees?

Like tell me what we should do as a city. Absolutely. And it's happening. The City of Toronto Urban Forestry Department is very progressive. And they're, you know, as far as I know, they follow what's called tree equity. And they're looking at certain neighbourhoods that have less trees, knowing the benefits of trees, both socially and, you know, how they help us out, they're targeting neighborhoods and planting more trees, knowing that it will increase the health and the mental health and physical health of the people that live there. Another little factoid, too, is they've done studies on street plantings of trees

where there's streets and boulevards where they have planted boulevard style like down the sides of the both sides of the street and you can imagine the trees grow up and they start touching over the top of the street. People tend to drive slower and there's less road rage on those streets that have Boulevard type planting. The live stream at live.torontomike.com is always full of real time information from great FOTM. So I hope to give a big hug to on Thursday at TMLX19. Did I mention TMLX19 is Thursday the 6th?

Okay, I wanna make sure I mentioned that. Be there or be a square root. I haven't know how to mention it. 36? Okay. I want to make sure I never be a square. I have a note to mention it I don't think I've mentioned it yet, but this Maple leaf forever tree the one let me see here. It's behind my condo hit by lightning There is a sapling planted in the park beat behind back in 2012. So it sounds like They they grew a tree from the cutting maybe. Okay, which is possible.

Yep, that's kind of cool. And there's apparently the Maple Leaf Forever tree had a remaining trunk that was set ablaze a few years ago and there's not much left of it. That's pretty sad. Like we have enough trouble with nature. We don't need like people messing things up here. So it's son of or daughter of Maybeli Forever Tree. My goodness gracious.

The tradition continues here. There were many neat things Jeho tells me that were carved from the Maybeli Forever Tree. So you were right about all that. Yes. And he's just asking about like, so he says most trees that are planted close to asphalt, asphalt, say that word for me.

Asphalt. Yeah, I'm missing the sh in there. Okay, asphalt. Now I gotta get that right, me. Asphalt. Yeah, I'm missing the sh in there. Okay, asphalt. Now, I've got to get that right, okay? If you're talking to kindergarten kids. But most trees that are planted close to asphalt get fried, he says. Yeah, again, the heat island. You know, the black top or the color of the asphalt will attract the heat. And it just changes the temperature in that little microclimate. So again, if you can do that, mulching would help underneath the tree that's closer to the asphalt.

That would help mitigate it as well as a good watering program in the summer. I mentioned I had read many years ago about the value of green space in trees with regards to the temperature in the city. And it was drawing a correlation between household income and the number of trees. And essentially the lower the household income, the fewer trees and green space and therefore the warmer temperatures. Right, and that's plays into the goals of tree equity

is trying to go into some of these neighborhoods and plant them up. And to help, you know, lifestyle and health and just make it more enjoyable to live amongst the trees. Yeah, because now that I think about it, the lower income neighborhoods do seem to have more concrete. Pretty stark, yes. And they are, they do feel about 10 degrees warmer. Yeah, no, it's, yeah, when you start looking even in Toronto to these different neighborhoods,

they are under treed. Under treed here. Okay. So, you know, you mentioned you heard the Josh Matlow episode. I'm, you know, so I'm making some inroads here slowly, but there are 25 counselors and I think four have been over or whatever. So I have some work to do here, but slowly, but surely I'm getting the right ears. So we need to plant more trees, right? Absolutely. Yeah. Green infrastructure. That's this morning I was at the school there and my comment was about, you know, the CO2 that trees, CO2 is tree food. We are creating CO2

through burning fossil fuels and our factories and all the industry. Trees can't keep up. So we need more. No, we need more because the same thing is we're stripping for us. So there are less CO2 being absorbed into the wood of the tree and we just need more trees in the city to help us. So periodically the city has like an ice storm. Right. And I mean, even in, I remember recently we had some big ice storm where I would take a bike ride and I would see so many fallen trees.

Like, so do we replace every tree that is, dies from a natural disaster like that? I don't think they can possibly do that. Probably not with, they don't have enough resources. So it's almost like, you know, 10 steps forward, then 11 steps back in some cases. Okay, Professor, you're under the, you know, I'm not going to blame you,

but I'm glad you're educating people. Cause I think, you know, the more you know when it comes to the value of our urban trees here, you mentioned you talked to classes. So how far have you traveled to speak to teachers, parents, and children about the value of urban trees? The furthest was to the University of Cote d'Azur

in Nice, France. That's far. That's far. And I've done quite a bit in the US. And beginning of May, I was in Calgary. This summer, I'm going to be in Michigan and then in Indianapolis. You're going all over the place. Yeah, yeah.

You're just not a, not just a GTA guy. No, trees have no boundaries, Mike. They're borderless and the benefits are borderless. So yeah, when I get out there and everybody has the same kind of questions and trees and their benefits is an international language. I think you're right. Everybody has the same question. Like how is Toronto Tree doing? Like it's like you'll go to France. They'll be like is Toronto Tree okay? Right. Yeah. I heard Mike talk about the the poor brown leaves he's raking up in July. I'm worried about Toronto Tree. Dave Thomas in LA.

He's worried about Toronto Tree. And we are going to try to extend the life For Toronto tree. We're gonna we're gonna be can't yeah. Oh my goodness. I can't say goodbye. It's too I just got here 12 years ago. Okay, goodness good. I'm in my mind I'm still even though you you might tell me it's unrelated I'm still blaming that damn woodpecker, you know woodpeckers are you know, I like birds, but I don't what are you supposed to do? You know, woodpeckers are, you know, I like birds, but I don't, what are you supposed to do? What is the, what am I supposed to do when I see a woodpecker going hard on the daily, like it's their job on my beloved Toronto tree? Like what am I supposed to put some vinegar on the trees? So it goes to a different tree. I just thought of that now. Um, that might not have been a bad idea.

You know what? And I'm in beautiful Richmond Hill and we have a woodpecker that sits outside our window and pecks away on our... I think that was my guy. I think that's my guy. Yep. I think he came from Etobicoke or Richmond Hill. I talked to some woodpecker specialists and they do this thing called drumming where it's the male and it creates a sound for the female. But maybe he's, you know, looking for some action out there.

I think you're, you're a hundred percent right. We had a horny woodpecker messing with Toronto tree. Now I'm really mad. Okay. So if, if somebody wants you to speak to their, I don't know, their camp, right. Or their school, I know school is out on a Friday, but you know, for next year, whatever. Like if somebody wants to get Professor Pricklethorn to do your thing, I saw all the props in your car, I mentioned the, and people can see the photo,

I mentioned the bow tie and the hair, like there's a whole Professor Pricklethorn persona that really can reach kids and then give them this good info. How do you book you, how do you book Professor? I am to what Gallagher was to watermelons. I am that guy for trees. Okay, well not with this. Don't use that reference of the kindergarten kids. No, because it's a mallet. They don't know who you're talking about.

Yeah. No, Gallagher? Yeah. So, yeah, to get a hold of me, it's info at pricklethorne.com or you can check out my website at www.pricklethorn.com. Professor, what are your jams? Like when you want to listen to some music, what are you listening to? Oh boy. What genre? Elvis Costello. Oh yeah. I probably saw him the most. Did you see him at the Alma Combo? 79. 79? Yeah. That's the show. I think it was a Gary's presentation. Yeah. And, um, yeah, I saw, uh,

just recently I saw him last summer open for, uh, Darrell hall, right? Budweiser saw him in Oceania a couple of years ago, Massey hall multiple times. Yeah. Elvis Costello married a Canadian. So good on him. Absolutely. Okay. So you're that sort of your scene there. Yeah. That's a cool scene actually. Like is it, would that new wave scene extend to like

the spoons by any chance? Yes, the spoons. Yep. I only say that because at TMLS 19 is going to be the keyboardist for spoons. Rob Pruss, he's going to be there. Wow. Amazing. You've got to be there. You can meet Rob Pruss, you know,

his hair is a bit shorter now too here So I was thinking of tree jams and there's so many there's actually a lot of great tree jams Like I'm Bruce Colburn has if a tree falls in the forest. There's a whole bunch. Do you have a favorite tree song? I Put it on the spot here. Yeah, I kind of go with this band out of Nebraska the uh... go with this band out of nebraska the uh... screaming trees no no they're they're they're like a tree jams but they have a couple of

kitty songs for kitty songs right right right so what yeah i don't have like a a go-to tree song okay so you're seeing as late seventies yeah a couple years on me my scene is like early mid nineties like this is sort of would be the equivalent for me. I go hard on the 90s still even here in 2025. I there's a lot of like 90s alt rock songs that are

like one hit wonders. Like these bands pop up, they have that killer track, but they don't really have any other song that resonates decades later. But I'm going to play one such song. Okay? And then we're gonna have a little chat about this, okay? So here is a tree song from the 90s. This old man I've talked about broke his own heart, pouring the ground A big red tree grew up and out, throws up its leaf, spins round and round Do you know this band? I don't. Belly. Okay, so Belly, and I'll give a little history of Belly here, but this was the big song from

the alt rock band Belly, it's an American band. This song goes back to 1993, one of great years in the music history. So says I Fight me. I'll go out with you this song Did reach number one on the Billboard Modern Rock charts? Did quite well for belly belly was Tanya Donnelly's band. Okay. Do you know the name Tanya Donnelly a Little bit squirrely there for a minute. But yeah, okay, so Tanya Donnelly? Got a little bit squirrely there for a minute, but yeah. Okay, so Tanya Donnelly, I guess she first found fame

with her stepsister, they were in a band called Throwing Muses, and they had a couple of songs, I remember, but then she formed this band with Kim Deal from The Breeders, sorry, The Breeders was named the band, but from the Pixies, so The Breeders had a huge song called Cannonball. So she went, I'm speaking of Tanya now, she went from Throwing Muses to the Breeders, and then she started her own band in 1991 called Belly.

And this song is called Feed the Tree. And I think this could be like, you know, this could be the professor's song, Professor Elwood Pricklethorn, Feed the Tree by Belly could be your jam. I like it. I'm going to look into that, Mike. Okay, you're going to look into that. And then maybe one day we come up with like a tree playlist and we kick out the tree jams. If you do that, I'll bring my little corn pickle songs from Nebraska. The kids songs! We'll do two of them. We'll do one for the kids here.

Because I got a, I got even my nine-year-old was she stood her like live. No, she's been singing at a coffee shop. So it's not her debut, but she did a performance at Assembly Hall on Sunday, just yesterday now that I think about it. And she did a cover of a Taylor Swift song and it was a well-received and she did a great job. That's my youngest. Maybe she could do a Toronto Tree song. You know what I think she could write one I feel like she's a budding musician so maybe I'll get Rob Prusin on that action if we need a little reggae in there Snow can come by and drop a verse. Yeah it's all gonna happen here. My goodness Professor you're now an FOTM, friend of Toronto Miked.

How was this for you? It was awesome. Did we miss anything important? I don't want to shut you down here. I don't think so, no. And I'm going to drop a name, Gary Chowen. He cuts hair. That's it.

One of the, yeah. How do you know Gary? I met Gary the first time on Toronto Island, just as a city was amalgamating and he wanted to plant a tree there, a memorial tree. And, um, he was hitting red tape on getting it done. We connected instantly, got it done. Can I tell you a quick Gary Chowen story? Of course people can hear Gary Chowen.

Yeah. He's got share stories. He's all over the, great stories, great stories. He wrote me a note the other day and he said, and I'm trying to find the name of this gentleman because are you a billiards fan? Billiards? No. Billiards. No, me neither. Like I don't know any billiard players, but there's a guy living in Toronto who was like a world champion of billiards. And of course Gary knows knows everybody's, maybe he cuts his hair, I don't know, but he's like, you need to talk to this guy, Cliff.

And I'm gonna find out Cliff's last name. I know the billiard heads will wanna know Cliff's last name. What is your name, Cliff? My goodness, he just signs it as Cliff. Okay, so Cliff is a Canadian who won the billiards world champion He's apparently famous in the billiard world and apparently he's got some great stories

and I literally this morning wrote an email to Cliff and said how about dropping by in early July for a deep dive and talk about all this because I'm Fascinated to talk to Lego a world famous champion billiard player and that's because of Gary challenge Wow Gary knows a lot of people in Toronto. I guess those scissors and the salon he's and great share stories Some of the people that he's had through there. I gotta get Gary to FOTM tmlx 19 on Thursday. Yeah. Do you think Cher will show up? She might. She might get her hair, get her locks done, you know. If Cher shows up, I'm going to see if Cher will do like an Informer remix with Snow. We're going to get some music collaborations going. Turn back time. Oh,

that video. Yeah. Getting hot in here right now. We spoke. Professor Elwood Pricklethorn, what a pleasure it was to talk to you about Toronto Tree and people can find you and book you. You can educate more people about the value of urban trees. You're doing important work. Keep on rocking in the tree world. Oh! Hey! I'm gonna write that down. And that brings us to the end of our 1717th show. 1717. You'll

never forget that number. 17. That's Wendell Clark, Wendell Clark. Wow. Another classic. Oh my God. He's over there. Hi Wendell. What's he doing over there? Big C. Go to torontomike.com for all your Toronto Mike needs. Go to Great Lakes Brewery from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, June 26th. That's TMLX 19. Your first beer is on the house. Palma Pasta will feed you. I'm hoping Keith Stein from the Toronto Mate Believes baseball team will be there. I believe him and his wife Melissa Melissa, are interested in attending.

Recyclemyelectronics.ca, that's where you go. You know, you know the drill. Building Toronto's skyline, Nick Aynes. I hope to see him at TMLX 19 and Ridley Funeral Home. Shout out to Brad Jones and his excellent podcast, Life's Undertaking. Hopefully I don't have to see Brad anytime soon to pay my respects to Toronto Tree. Long may Toronto Tree grow.

Go Tree Grow. Go Tree Grow. See you all. I got toast on Thursday, but I believe there's an episode Wednesday. Let's see who I expect before my song runs out. Don't run out song, don't run out song. Colin Kreps from Blue Rodeo. See you then.