The Greening Communities program is pleased to announce that the Township of Southwold has joined as a partner. This means that residents in the Township of Southwold will be able to purchase 20 trees or less to green their properties this spring.
“The Greening Communities program provides an economical way for citizens to increase the township’s forest cover and participate in our environmental initiatives,” said Ian Chard, Southwold Deputy Mayor. “It’s a great way for our citizens to help show their support of the Township’s participation in the Communities in Bloom competition this year.”
Landowners must order a minimum of 20 trees to qualify for the Greening Communities program. Species available include White spruce, Norway spruce, White cedar, White pine, Red maple, Sugar maple, Tulip tree, White Birch, Sycamore, Eastern redbud and Red-osier dogwood and prices range from $1.00 to $2.00 per tree. The program is still accepting tree orders for this spring.
Southwold Township is the fourth municipality to join the Greening Communities initiative. Greening Communities was first launched in 2012 by the Municipality of Central Elgin. Based on the success of the program, the City of St. Thomas and Malahide Township joined in 2014. The program offers tree seedlings in small quantities at an affordable rate to encourage landowners with smaller landscapes to green their property and assist in meeting reforestation goals.
“Not everyone has five or ten acres of land to reforest,” says Mr. Chard. “But twenty trees here and twenty trees there starts to add up and can make an impact.”
Kettle Creek and Catfish Creek Conservation Authorities administer the program on behalf of the partner municipalities. To date, 3,500 trees have been planted through the program.
For more information and to order trees, landowners can contact their local Conservation Authority.
Catfish Creek Conservation Authority
519-773-9037
water@catfishcreek.ca
Kettle Creek Conservation Authority
519-631-1270 x229 betsy@kettlecreekconservation.on.ca