Oak Tree Planting & High Park Celebration with Grandmother Donna

Saturday, September 19, 2026, 1-4PM

Ages: Family Friendly

NOTE: Walk-ups welcome though registration is encouraged to help with planning. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Oak Tree Planting & High Park Celebration with Grandmother Donna

Join Taiaiako’n Historical Preservation Society, Indigenous Land Stewardship Circle, High Park Nature Centre, and forest ecologist Eric Davies to commemorate the preservation of the Land now known as High Park: a nature space in the heart of the settler city.

In 1873, settler property owner, developer, and architect John Howard and his wife, Jemima, bequeathed the Lands now known in the English tradition as High Park to the City of Toronto. High Park opened to the public 150 years ago. Since then, the public has become more aware of the significance of High Park to Indigenous peoples on whose Lands the park sits.

High Park’s Oak Savannah is a remaining fragment that represents a traditional Indigenous stewardship practice created through controlled burns. The work of THPS and the ILSC is to re-indigenize High Park, restoring the deeper Indigenous history of the Land through stewardship and teachings.

Gather around a Sacred Fire with Grandmother Donna Powless, Eric Davies, and others for song, ceremony, a potluck feast, and Oak Savannah teachings. Together, we will plant four 3-year-old Black Oak saplings grown from acorns gathered from the High Park Savannah.  Planting tools will be provided by the High Park Nature Centre.

For those who are inspired and have space, Oak Saplings are available to the community.   Please see and complete the Oak Sapling Request Form if you are interested in helping expand the Black Oak Savannah beyond High Park. 

What to Bring

  • Please dress for the weather and for working in the outdoors
  • (Optional) You are welcome to bring your own gardening gloves
  • Refillable water bottle
  • Peanut- and nut-free snack

Price: FREE
Ages: Family Friendly
Meeting Location: High Park Forest School, 375 Colborne Lodge Drive

Register Now
  • Day: Saturday, September 19, 2026
  • Time: 1-4PM


Please arrive on time.

This event will start at the High Park Forest School building located at 375 Colborne Lodge Drive.

We continue to recommend using the TTC or biking as the best way to get to High Park and the Nature Centre’s facilities.

Public Transit (TTC):
High Park Subway Station is the closest subway station to the High Park Forest School.

After exiting High Park Station through the High Park Avenue exit, walk south into High Park along Colborne Lodge Drive. The Forest School is the first building on your left, about 5 minutes from the subway station.

Please visit TTC’s website for route schedules, fares and passes, service advisories and alerts.

Cycling:
We have bike racks available at the High Park Forest School. Please bring your own bike locks.

There are also several Bike Share Toronto docking stations in and near High Park. Please visit Bike Share Toronto’s website for more information.

Driving:
A number of changes were made to the travel network within High Park as part of the High Park Movement Strategy that might influence your decision to drive to High Park.

  • Weekends: High Park is closed to cars on weekends. If your event is on a weekend, you will need to park outside the park and walk in, or take transit. On-street parking is available on Bloor Street West. Precise Parklink parking lots are available just north of Bloor Street West off Pacific Avenue. Green P parking lots are available at the Keele and Runnymede Subway Stations.

Visit our How To Get Here page to learn more about planning your trips to High Park.

General Admission:

  • FREE

This event is Family Friendly.

Gardening tools will be provided by the High Park Nature Centre. You are welcome to bring your own gardening gloves (optional).

It’s important to come prepared for an outdoor event. High Park Nature Centre events will run rain, snow or shine. We recommend checking the forecast before your event and preparing accordingly.

Please wear weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable, closed-toe footwear.

Depending on the weather and your personal needs, some optional things you may also wish to bring:

  • Sun protection (hat, sunglasses, sunscreen)
  • Insect repellent
  • A nut-free snack
  • A refillable water bottle

We try our best to accommodate accessibility needs on a case-by-case basis. Please reach out to us about any accessibility-related questions you might have as soon as possible.

  • Hike routes through High Park might include some uneven terrain and mild slopes.
  • The High Park Forest School building is not yet an AODA-compliant facility.

Dogs and other pets are not permitted in our programs. However, certified service animals, such as registered therapy or guide dogs, are welcome.

Register Now

Registration Policies

Please ensure you’ve read and understood our registration policies:
  • General Cancellation Policy
  • Extreme Weather-Related Cancellation Policy
  • Behaviour Policy
Read Our Registration Policies