SDG COUNTIES, Ontario - The Raisin Region Conservation Authority (RRCA) celebrated Earth Day by kicking off its 25th annual Tree Giveaway for the region. With the support of Ontario Power Generation and municipal and conservation partners, RRCA is distributing 5,000 seedlings to residents by hosting or participating in a Tree Giveaway in each of its five member municipalities of Cornwall, South Stormont, North Stormont, South Glengarry, and North Glengarry.
“RRCA’s annual Tree Giveaway serves to introduce residents to the conservation authority’s various tree planting programs, which help improve the area’s tree cover, water quality, flood and erosion resilience, wildlife habitat, and the general health of local watersheds,” said Jessica Herrington, RRCA’s Stewardship Coordinator. “Overall, the RRCA is set to add 56,000 trees on both public and private properties in 2024, adding to the nearly 1.3 million trees planted through the RRCA since 1994 within our watershed jurisdiction.”
The first Tree Giveaway event this year took place within the City of Cornwall’s fourth annual Eco Day at Lamoureux Park, where 1,000 tree seedlings were set to be distributed to those in attendance.
“Every native tree or shrub planted locally can help enhance our region’s resilience and biodiversity,” said Herrington. “It was great to see so many eager residents lining up to choose their free seedlings.”
RRCA’s Tree Giveaway event in Cornwall provided seedlings on a first-come, first-served basis. For RRCA’s other municipalities, residents were able to select and reserve their seedlings through an online form. Once again, RRCA partnered with its neighbouring conservation authority, South Nation Conservation, to hold Giveaway events in their shared municipalities.
RRCA stewardship staff are also set to start planting 42,000 trees through the conservation authority’s full-service tree planting program, which is available to local landowners looking to plant 500 trees or more. The program includes consultations, site preparation, seedling purchase and planting, and follow-up assessments. Through various partnerships, the RRCA can offer significant tree planting subsidies to property owners, with funding available up to 90 percent of project costs. The RRCA is currently booking free site consultations for next year’s planting season.
For smaller projects, the RRCA offers over-the-counter native tree and shrub sales to the community at lower costs. An online form on the RRCA website allows property owners to select a variety of species before picking up their trees at Gray’s Creek Conservation Area.
“Our Over-the-Counter Tree Program is very popular within the community and is resulting in over 7,500 trees being planted this spring,” said Herrington. While the order deadline for the spring seedling edition of this program is now closed, residents are encouraged to subscribe to RRCA’s monthly newsletter to be notified in advance when the potted stock edition of this program becomes available this fall. The RRCA also regularly hosts community and corporate tree planting events in its jurisdiction.