Free tree and shrub seedlings for Vaughan residents begins this weekend

Yorkregion.com
May 2, 2014
By Adam Martin-Robbins

The powerful ice storm that swept across southern Ontario in December wiped out thousands of mature trees and shrubs throughout Vaughan.

Add to that the destruction of thousands more wrought by the emerald ash borer and the city is a lot less leafy than it used to be.

Now, the city is responding by offering homeowners free tree and shrub seedlings to try to help replace at least some of the foliage that’s been lost.

“We recognize the impacts of the emerald ash borer and this December's ice storm, which had significant impacts to our own trees as well as trees on private property,” Vaughan’s manager of parks services Jeffery Silcox-Childs said. “We also recognize that, in terms of our urban forest canopy overall, we can only plant so many trees, we only have so much space to plant.

“There’s a huge opportunity on private property to build (our) urban forest canopy and, generally, you’re going to be more successful because the people are going to have more of a vested interest in that tree. They’re going to nurture it; they’re going to water it; they’re going to really help to get it established quicker.”

Free seedlings will be handed out during Environmental Days, held annually in each of the city’s five wards.

The kick off event takes place Sunday, May 4 in Ward 4 at North Thornhill Community Centre, 300 Pleasant Ridge Ave., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

There are four different species of native trees and shrubs available including red oak, red maple, red twig dogwood and white spruce.

Residents who sign up for the city’s eNewsletter will receive one seedling each.

“For us to go and put these seedlings in a park, the survival rate is much lower. For us to give them to residents to nurture and get established on their own property, the survival rate is much higher,” Mr. Silcox-Childs said. “And we’re also hoping it’s a bit of an incentive for residents to explore some other plantings within their own property.”

Mr. Silcox-Childs said they expect to give out about 1,000 trees this weekend, at a cost to the city of about $900, or less than $1 each.

Vaughan lost about 13,000 trees during the ice storm, while another 19,000 sustained significant damage. And that’s just on public property.

It’s not known exactly how many trees on private property were destroyed, but that number could be as high as 26,000.

And, as of September 2013, the city had cut down 1,689 ash trees afflicted by the emerald ash borer with another 3,200 pegged for removal.

The cost of replacing just the city-owned trees damaged by the ice storm has been pegged at more than $8 million, which isn’t covered by the province’s special ice storm relief fund program.

For residents who can’t make it out Sunday to pick up a seedling, there are four more Environmental Days scheduled in May and June.

At those events, residents can also pick up free mulch, replace damaged city-issued blue boxes and green bins at no charge, purchase new waste management containers and learn more about the implementation of Green Directions Vaughan, the city’s sustainability and environmental master plan.

Other Environmental Days are scheduled for:

Woodbridge west (Ward 2) Saturday, May 10, 2014 at Al Palladini Community Centre, 9201 Islington Ave.

Maple/Kleinburg (Ward 1) Saturday, May 24 at the Joint Operations Centre, 2800 Rutherford Rd.

Woodbridge East (Ward 3) Saturday, June 14 at Vellore Village Community Centre, 1 Villa Royale Ave.

Thornhill (Ward 5) Sunday, June 22 at Garnet A. Williams Community Centre, 501 Clark Ave. W.

For more information, visit vaughan.ca/parksandforestry