SDG COUNTIES, Ontario - Grade 5 students from Eamer’s Corners Public School joined Raisin Region Conservation Authority (RRCA) staff to plant 50 native trees and shrubs at the Gambhir Memorial Urban Forest, located just a short walk from their school in the City of Cornwall. Planted species included bur oak, eastern white pine, common lilac, and white birch.
RRCA Board of Directors Chair, South Stormont Mayor Bryan McGillis welcomed the students and Dr. Indu Gambhir to the forest. Gambhir is a former emergency room physician who donated the 2.7-acre forest to the RRCA in 2015. “I’d like to thank Dr. Gambhir for donating this property. I also want to thank the students for being here today and planting these trees that are important for our ecosystem.”
Eamer’s Corners students have been planting trees at the Forest with the RRCA since 2012.
“While working as an emergency room physician, I would see many children come in with breathing problems.” said Gambhir. “This is the land that will belong to the next generation, so I ask children to help plant trees to help clean the air they breathe.”
Cornwall’s Mayor, Justin Towndale, also joined the students on site and commended them for their contribution to the City’s sustainability.
“You are making a mark in your community just down the street from your school. You will get to come here with your family and friends, and maybe when you are my age, your future children can get to see the trees you planted,” Towndale said.
A believer in the impact of education on environmental stewardship, Gambhir sponsored a stewardship-themed essay contest for the students. Grade 5 student, James Russell, in his first-place winning essay wrote: "Trees are important for many reasons. Trees produce oxygen that helps us breath."
The Gambhir Forest is part of a total of 1,985 acres of environmentally significant land owned and managed by the RRCA to preserve ecologically sensitive habitat, increase tree cover, maintain green infrastructure for flooding and erosion resilience, and to provide recreation and eco-tourism opportunities.
“Like Dr. Gambhir, landowners in the RRCA’s jurisdiction can consider donating their land as their natural heritage legacy,” said Lisa Van De Ligt, RRCA’s Communications and Stewardship Team Lead. “RRCA’s expertise in forestry and stewardship ensures your legacy is preserved and maintained.”
The RRCA is a qualified recipient under Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program and may issue charitable receipts for donations.