Tree Society of Creemore wants to hear from the community
The Tree Society of Creemore is taking a step forward and thinking about its role in the community.
The Society is changing at the board level. We want to acknowledge and thank Tracey Kolowska and Keith Mantesso for their valued contributions to the Tree Society; and we welcome two new members of the community who have decided to join the board: Jacey Sampson and Serge Lafleur are now on the board and bring energy and new ideas to the table.
The Tree Society of Creemore has been active in the community for over 30 years. From its roots, the original mandate of the committee was to improve the tree canopy of Creemore, replace trees along Mill Street and raise funds to continue that mandate.
As the committee evolved to become the Tree Society that most people now know, it added to its mandate the personal requests for planting a tree and the Christmas tree lighting event.
As a non-profit organization, the Society relies on volunteers for its board, for membership recruiting and for the execution of all the tasks and events. Membership has been slowly declining over the years, and the current public health crisis has made it apparent that the Society’s relevance to the community of Creemore needs to be reconsidered. As a board, we have come up with some ideas about our direction in the future, which include: education on trees, information to tree owners, continuing to be an active voice from Creemore at the township level, increasing our activities that celebrate trees, and forming partnerships with other groups such as the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
The board feels that the Society is at a crucial decision point in its evolution. The Tree Society can become a more vibrant, relevant part of the community if the community feels it brings value. If not, it may be time for the Society to end. This would mean that such important services as: advocating to the township for maintenance and renewal of the tree canopy; working with the community and the township to help maintain the health and diversity of the trees in Creemore; having a voice in favour of trees and their environmental benefits; and managing the process for personal request for tree planting would go away.
The board wants to hear from the people of Creemore about what the Society means to them. As we prepare to evolve our mission to include new directions, the support of the community is crucial. In addition to the current membership of 42 people, we would also like to hear from other residents so that we can assess our next steps.
The board invites you to share your thoughts and ideas on the importance of the Tree Society to you now and for the future. Send us a note at tsocinfo@gmail.com, fill out a survey on the Tree Society of Creemore Facebook page or come and meet us at Foodland on Saturday, Dec. 11 from 9 a.m. to noon and tell us what you think.
Submitted by Serge Lafleur and Jacey Sampson.
