The County of Brant’s Forestry Department hosted a community tree-planting event at Burford Lions Art Cadman Park on Saturday, October 19, 2024.
Held in partnership with the Brant Tree Coalition, the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) and the Burford Lions Club, the event attracted several volunteers who came out to help plant a total of 400 trees and shrubs throughout the grounds of the park.
Upon arrival, Grade 9 student volunteers from Paris District High School provided the residents with step-by-step instructions on how to plant a tree to ensure an optimal transplant for the greenery to survive.
Made possible through a Trees Canada grant, Mackenzie Sheppard, Forestry and Horticulture Coordinator for the County of Brant, said the goal of the day was to help infill the areas in the park that had previously been affected by the emerald ash borer.
“I believe there used to be around 150 to 200 ash trees in the park at one point, but because of the emerald ash borer, unfortunately we had to cut down a lot of the trees,” said Sheppard. “That’s now opened up a lot of space for tree planting and so today we’re planting a mix of all native tree species including white spruce, white pine, the kentucky coffee tree, shagbark hickory, red bud, tulip, silver maple, bur oak and white oak.”
She added that the new trees will not only will not only help with increasing the county’s tree canopy, but seasonal flooding in the park as well.
“The County of Brant has a goal to increase its overall tree canopy and that helps the environment with climate change in eliminating some of the heat islands that we’re seeing in other areas,” explained Sheppard. “This spot is a location that’s very popular with the community for hiking and Lions Club events, so we’re hoping that with the trees we can create a bit more of a green space community, as well as work towards decreasing the seasonal flooding so the community can get to enjoy it more in the spring.”
For Paris resident, Stephane Roulou, the day marked his third community tree-planting event, saying, “it’s all about giving back to my local community.”
“I used to do this when I was a kid and now this is the third year I’ve done this,” he said. “I’ll definitely keep coming back as much as I can because I just like to give back and support the community, you know?”
Brantford resident, Allison Hall, said that the event was a first for her and that overall, she was feeling accomplished.
“I’m definitely feeling a bit tired now but it’s been really good,” said Hall, with a laugh. “It feels great to get outside and meet new people from the County all while feeling like you’ve gotten something good accomplished.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
