Over 900 trees and shrubs were planted in Peterborough by volunteers on Saturday (September 21) during two different projects.
Otonabee Conservation worked with 59 volunteers to plant 300 trees and shrubs along the shoreline of the Otonabee River at the Riverview Park and Zoo in an event supported by TD Tree Days, a program that contributes to the TD Ready Commitment target of helping plant one million trees by 2030. Participating in the program since 2021, Otonabee Conservation has has helped plant over 2,500 trees and shrubs locally.
The native species planted on Saturday included fragrant sumac, nannyberry, serviceberry, gray dogwood, and chokeberry. Not only do these species will support natural diversity and help to mitigate climate change, but they will provide shade and stabilize soils along the shoreline, supporting the efforts of the Riverview Park and Zoo to naturalize the shoreline of the Otonabee River.
Meanwhile, in Kiwanis Community Park, 60 volunteers helped plant 620 new trees to enhance the city’s urban forest canopy as part of Tree Canada’s Community Tree Grant program and the Trees 4 Peterborough initiative.
The Rotary Club of Peterborough, Peterborough GreenUP, Otonabee Conservation, the LCBO, RBC Dominion Securities, the Excelsior Group, Peterborough Homes, and Merrett Home Hardware all supported the project.
A diversity of native tree species were planted at the park to replace around 400 dead or dying ash trees that succumbed to the emerald ash borer. The dead or dying trees, along with understory vegetation that was predominantly invasive buckthorn, were removed in August.
