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Only God can make a tree? Not!
Volunteers plant about 200 trees and shrubs as part
of ReForest London's latest project
by Joe Belanger
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ILLUSTRATION:
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5 photos by Morris Lamont 1. Hundreds of volunteers took
part during a tree planting event at Briscoe Woods
Saturday. London
West MP Ed Holder announced a $65,000 grant to
ReForest London as part of the event . 2.
MP Ed Holder
pitches in. 3. Mary Ann Hodge gives her daughter,
Samantha, 6, a wheelbarrow ride while moving loads of
mulch. 4. Sammy Helland, 4 and Dustin Bartoszewicz, 7,
help out during the event.
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London West MP Ed Holder couldn't have said it more succinctly:
"Take a breath, thank a tree."
And with that advice, dozens of volunteers grabbed shovels and
started digging to plant about 200 trees and shrubs on a plot of
land dominated by an invasive species, buckthorn. In ReForest
London's most recent project, west of Wharncliffe Rd. near the
Coves environmentally significant area, the Briscoe Woods will
be expanded to cover the near-barren patch of land with native
trees.
"The air we breathe is the most important thing we need, which
is why you're here today," said Holder, standing on a podium of
compost and mulch he shared with London-Fanshawe NDP MP Irene
Mathyssen Saturday under sunny skies on a warm fall day.
"This planet's hard to take care of-- but you guys get it."
Environment Canada is providing a grant of $65,000 for the group
to plant 4,000 trees this year in 10 parks, including the Coves.
Friends of the Coves partnered with ReForest London for the
project, providing volunteers.
"This grant offers us a tremendous opportunity to plant
thousands of new trees in London's parks and it encourages
Londoners to help improve their environment," said Julie Ryan,
executive director of ReForest London.
"Naturalizing parks provides new habitat for wildlife, improves
air and water quality and enhances the natural beauty of our
city."
Bill DeYoung, technical director for ReForest London, which has
overseen the planting of more than 16,000 trees in the city
since 2005, said the plot of land being naturalized was once
dominated by buckthorn, an invasive species of plant that crowds
out native species. The buckthorn was removed by the city over a
two-week period last year and this year, was chipped and is
being used as mulch.
The buckthorn is being replaced by a variety of trees, including
sugar maples, sycamore, American plum (a wild fruit tree),
dogwood, red maple, white pine and shrubs, including spicebush,
ninebark, common elderberry and nannyberry. Vines will also be
introduced, such as riverbank grape, fly honeysuckle and running
strawberry bush.
DeYoung said acorn and hickory seeds will also be planted.
Mathyssen said trees deliver more to communities than its life
breath, oxygen.
"Trees make communities better," she said. "They're not just
good for the environment, but for the soul as well. And they can
be community builders because, as you can see today, trees are
bringing people together for something that lasts for
generations."
