Bonnie The Mascot

I'M HONOURED to be the mascot for the Adopt-a-Block project.

Hi, my name is Bonnie The Birch, and in August 2012, Susan, the organizer of the venture, adopted me. She’s been exploring my origins and has recently discovered that I am a Paper birch. I’m known for my small to medium size, with many stems and can stand up to 30 metres tall.

At one point in my life, a man using a handsaw truncated me. I could only let the event happen. He dragged away my top half and let me stand at five feet. I 'm living on the boulevard on Dogwood Street, my slender trunk with its distinctive curve reaching for the sky. Several of my lower branches remained, most with my egg-shaped leaves still attached.

If you step up to me, at the time when my leaves appear, you’ll see my flowers. They are either male or female and are in the narrow catkins. My female catkins are two to four centimeters long, standing erect at the tip of my branch. My male catkins are longer and hang below the branch. I welcome the energy you bring when you stand next to me and touch my leaves for a closer look.

I am a fruit-bearing tree. The nutlets have wings broader than the seed and I produce thousands of seeds. If I’m in good health, you’ll see hundreds of seeds at my base.

Here’s a little something you might like to know: My seeds are much loved by many species of birds.

Until next time, Bonnie The Birch

Nutlets with wings

This sketch of an Alaskan Paper birch shows the size of my very similar nutlets.

My leaves and catkins. Males hanging down, females at the end.