Horticulturist at Canadian Film Centre in Toronto, ON
For my first co-op term I have the privilege of working as a horticulturist at the Canadian Film Centre, located on the heritage site, Windfields Estate in north Toronto. My main purpose in this role is to preserve the historical accuracy and integrity of the exterior gardens. These include maintaining plants, trees, and landscape, replicating the estate from the 1930s. Due to the current pandemic I collaborate with one other horticulturist to achieve daily goals.
On a typical day, my responsibilities encompass removal of unwanted plants that encroach on the historical vegetation, installing the watering system, and assessing grounds for damage, pests, and diseases. During this summer we have being handling a difficult case of Powdery Mildew, using natural remedies to control and prevent the Mildew and increase the health of the plants. This position has allowed me to practice my skills in GIS technology to map and document the trees on the grounds and utilize and enhance my knowledge in plant classification. I have learned the importance of plants in history and the need to preserve them in the present and future. I hope to bring this understanding into my career of conservation. It has been a great pleasure to work at this placement and I look forward to continuing caring for this beautiful site.
