Tree-Planting Day comes to NCPS
By Dave Harbec
On Thursday, May 8, the Grade 3 students from Nottawasaga and Creemore Public School will take part in the 1st Annual “School Tree Planting Day.” This has been a collaborative effort including folks from the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA), the local school administration, Somerville Nurseries and, perhaps most important of all, a cooperative and conscientious landowner, George Martin.
If not for the dedicated staff at the NVCA and the willingness and concern of the landowner (private landowners account for the majority of land within the watershed), these projects simply could not take place.
Located in Melancthon, the planting site is a private farm property with a stream running through. This stream, like all waterways, is a sensitive area within the NVCA watershed. Next Thursday, children will plant tree and shrub seedlings along the banks to help buffer the waterway from exposure and erosion, and ameliorate terrestrial and aquatic habitat.
My part in all of this includes providing seedlings and helping with the day’s events. I’ve been growing tree seedlings for 15 years, and I have had many opportunities to plant seedlings with schools and other volunteer groups. Having moved to Creemore a couple of years ago, and now having school-aged children myself, I want to continue this work with the school and children in this community.
Planting projects are always fun, educational and benefit the ecosystem. The kids will have the opportunity to plant trees and see them grow as they grow. Revisiting these sites and seeing how they transform over time is an educational tool that costs little and provides so much to a persons understanding of their natural surroundings.
This project, which I hope will become an annual event, takes a little effort on the part of many people, which can include you. To continue each year, we’ll need planting sites. The NVCA do a great job of identifying sensitive sites where tree planting is required.
Additionally, there are other planting projects we could consider such as windbreaks or shelterbelts, which are tree plantings designed to protect property and roadways from damaging winds and weather. These could benefit not only your property, but the surrounding area.
If you are interested in our project, have a site in mind or just want more information on planting tree seedlings, please contact me at dave@treeseedlings.com.
Dave Harbec is Assistant Propagation Manager at Somerville Nurseries Inc.
