Feature Article - May 18, 2006

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Hinchinbrooke students plant Trees for Peace On Friday, May 12, the grade 7 and 8 students from Hinchinbrooke Public School planted 500 seedlings at the Timpson property in Loughborough. Trees for Peace is a partnership of community groups working together to build a healthier environment. Every spring they organize tree planting events bringing together businesses, community groups, landowners and local schools. This year, from April 21 to May 16, 800 students are planting 20,000 seedling trees on 18 sites in Lennox & Addington and Frontenac counties. The Trees for Peace program provides our local youth with environmental awareness and a strong sense of community. Planting new trees gives our students the opportunity to make an active contribution to their community and to help preserve our forests for future generations.

Trees for Peace Outreach Program has invited the lake and cottage associations in Frontenac and Lennox & Addington counties, members of the Ontario Woodlot Association, Limestone chapter, and members of the Friends of the Salmon River community group to have trees planted on their individual properties or linked with neighbouring lands. Landowners may purchase native species trees and shrubs at $.60 per tree, which is our cost.

Those benefiting from our program include community groups, landowners and local students (who will plant some of these trees). Reforestation of local lands will prevent erosion on creek banks and shore lines, attract wildlife to maturing forests, supply windbreaks to farmers’ fields and in general provide an affordable opportunity for our landowners to improve forest health. Everyone in the area enjoys the advantages of increased wildlife, cleaner air and improved water quality.

Our mandate is also to connect important landscape features (such as forests) and to enlarge and improve the natural areas for flora and fauna.  This allows more species to be established. The new program is designed for this purpose as many neighbouring properties will be connected and the natural areas enlarged. This gives us the opportunity to make a wide-ranging impact on the ecology of both counties.

Shoreline naturalization has been identified by the Stewardship Councils and by the Conservation Authority as a major mandate in order to control erosion, protect water quality and increase wildlife habitat. The majority of trees in this project will be planted on shorelines.

We have contacted some of our target audience and landowners have responded with requests for trees.

For more information, interested landowners and groups may contact Bret Colman, Frontenac Stewardship Council at 613-531-5714 or email at bret.colman@mnr.gov.on.ca.

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