Local property owners are looking ahead to next spring’s tree planting season with the Raisin Region Conservation Authority (RRCA). Over 30 property owners in Cornwall and surrounding area of SDG are booking free site consultations through the RRCA’s full-service tree planting program, which serves to improve the region’s tree cover by making it easy for property owners to turn their tree-planting visions into reality.
“During a site consultation, we assess the land’s topography, soil conditions, competing vegetation, drainage, and other notable features,” says RRCA Stewardship Coordinator, Jessica Herrington. “We can then provide property owners with a recommended plan that is tailored to their particular land, helping them realize their planting goals and ideas.”
Once a plan is in place, the RRCA then prepares the site, sources and plants seedlings, and conducts follow-up assessments. Through a partnership with Forests Ontario, the RRCA can offer significant subsidies to property owners.
“Whether the goal is to plant a windbreak, create a forest, attract wildlife, or simply improve an existing landscape’s aesthetic, the RRCA’s full-service tree planting program is there to facilitate the tree-planting process for property owners,” adds Herrington. “We are still accepting requests for free site consultations, and so we encourage owners to contact the RRCA and take advantage of this chance to enhance their property, and, by extension, contribute to the overall health of the area’s tree canopy.”
For projects under 500 trees, the RRCA offers tree seedling sales to the community at a discounted price. To be notified in advance when the 2023 tree seedling order form becomes available this fall, residents are encouraged to follow the RRCA on social media and sign up for its monthly newsletter.
Earlier this spring the RRCA held its 23rd annual Tree Giveaway, distributing a total of 3000 free trees at events in all five municipalities in its watershed jurisdiction.
Through its various forestry programs, the RRCA is planting 57,000 trees this year, adding to the over one million trees planted locally by the RRCA since 1994.
For more information, and to book a free site consultation, visit rrca.on.ca or contact (613) 938-3611 or info@rrca.on.ca.
