During the spring, my neighbors have vibrant colors. This is the time of the year they use to renew their energy. I get new sprouts, my leaves are light green and my branches are full.

All around me, I see little flower buds and full-bloomed tulips. Homes come out to harvest them and bring them to Ottawa for the Tulip Festival.

I am a good place for a bird to build a nest. Some animals like to sleep under my shades and hibernate inside of me. Near here there are waterfalls from the melting snow and I use my roots to drink the refreshing water that is melting from the previous season.

In the summer, my leaves turn dark green because the days are long and I need to protect my “body” with a darker skin. It is so wonderful to feel the sun shining on me for hours. I feel happy when my buddy Cloud(ia) brings me some rain showers to clean my leaves but when is angry she also brings thunderstorms.

Parents do more outdoor activities (hiking, camping, kayaking, fishing) and bring their children. Kids hug my trunk, break up my branches (Ouch!), and climb all the way up to my top.

It’s fun to see toddlers using my branches as sticks when they role-play as pirates. They pretend the sticks are swords and they walk around winking only one eye ;-).

During Autumn, the air gets cooler but never too cold. My leaves lose their green color, begin to turn yellow, and fall to the ground. The landscape around me transforms into a beautiful array of red, orange, and yellow hues.

Some people rake up my leaves, make small piles, and burn them to make campfires because the love to eat rostead marshmallows. Some people pretend my leaves are snow piles and lay on them to shake their arms and legs and make angel silluettes on the ground.

Birds from Ontario and Quebec tell me they see breathtaking foliage in Algonquin Park and Laurentian Mountains – respectively. That province is where 70% of the world’s maple syrup come from. Fall is when humans visiting local farm to eat fresh apples, pumpkins, and other seasonal produce.

The winter brings cold winds wich shake my leaves. I shiver and feel goose bumps on my spine. Because the days are shorter, I sleep a lot and some animals sleep in my trunk to stay warm.  catch small snowflakes with my branches and that completely changes my outfit and the one clothing style people who come visit me.

People who are not cozily hidden at home, come out to play sports. Some brave guys like to stay at ice hotels – a hotel made entirely of ice and snow. Some of the best are in Quebec – like the Hôtel de Glace. Some families tell me memories they gathered at the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort in British Columbia, where they ate really well and did winter sports – such as skiing and snowboarding.

After a few weeks, the snow melts and the weather starts to get warm. I wait for the sun to come and melt it all back into water. The water flows to the river, the fish feel happy, the birds eat more white meet and come visit me more often. It is all about to start all over again and I am happy to be up and right, thanks to the help of my environmentalist friends.