Book description
Edmund Zavitz (18751968) rescued Ontario from the ravages of
increasingly more powerful floods, erosion, and deadly fires. Wastelands
were talking over many hectares of once-flourishing farmlands and towns.
Sites like the Oak Ridges Moraine were well on their way to becoming a
dust bowl and all because of extensive deforestation. Zavitz held the
positions of chief forester of Ontario, deputy minister of forests, and
director of reforestation. His first pilot reforestation project was in
1905, and since then Zavitz has educated the public and politicians
about the need to protect Ontario forests. By the mid-1940s,
conservation authorities, provincial nurseries, forestry stations, and
bylaws protecting trees were in place. Land was being restored. Just a
month before his death, the one billionth tree was planted by Premier
John Robarts. Some two billion more would follow. As a result of
Zavitz's work, the Niagara Escarpment, once a wasteland, is now a UNESCO
World Biosphere. Recognition of the ongoing need to plant trees to
protect our future continues as the legacy of Edmund Zavitz. “…a
fascinating presentation.”
John Bacher received his Ph. D. in history from McMaster University
in 1985 and has taught at McMaster and the University of Toronto. A
co-author of Get a Life: An Environmentalist's Guide to Better
Living, Bacher is a passionate supporter of environmental
preservation. He lives in St. Catharines, Ontario.
