On National Tree Day (Wednesday, September 20), 25 community volunteers and staff from the Peterborough Humane Society and Otonabee Conservation planted 125 native trees and shrubs at the Peterborough Humane Society’s new animal care centre at 1999 Technology Drive in Peterborough.
The tree-planting project, one of the last components for the overall construction phase of the animal care centre, was supported by funding from Tree Canada, BMO, and Peterborough Humane Society.
“Our ongoing partnership with Otonabee Conservation has led to a total of 925 plants in the ground at our new facility to benefit wildlife and naturalize the property, while enhancing our outdoor facilities with shade and natural beauty,” says Peterborough Humane Society executive director Shawn Morey in a media release.
The native species planted at the animal care centre include red osier dogwood, ninebark, honey locust, and freeman maple.
The newly planted trees and shrubs will help to increase biodiversity and habitat at the site, provide shade for both people and animals at the centre, and create a visual and auditory barrier between the road and the outdoor areas used for animal rehabilitation and recreation.
“Community engagement and support is key to the success of stewardship projects like this,” says says Janette Loveys Smith, CAO and secretary-treasurer at Otonabee Conservation. “We are committed to planting trees across the watershed which also helps us locally adapt to climate change. When the community and our corporate partners collaborate to plant trees, we all benefit.”
