On Saturday May 9th, the day before Mother’s Day, CAFES held our biggest annual Tree Give-Away yet! We gave away a total of 300 native tree saplings to community members in Ottawa across three different locations – in Orleans, Kanata and Ottawa Centre! This exciting event was funded by Trees for Life, and organized in partnership with Kanata’s Bridlewood Community Association, the Convent Glen Orléans Wood Environment Committee, and the Mechanicsville Community Association.
This tree give-away is an annual initiative by CAFES to increase tree planting on private property in view of contributing to the City’s 40% canopy cover goal, and provides an opportunity for school-aged kids, families and individuals to take home a free tree on Mother’s Day to plant at their homes. About half of the City’s overall tree canopy comes from trees planted in the back and front yards of private and residential properties – which is huge!
This year we had a big variety of trees to choose from – from large canopy species like Red Maple and Northern Hackberry, to native conifers like Tamarack and Red Pine, to medium-sized species like Birch, as well as smaller options for those living in tighter urban spaces, including Nannyberry, Chokecherry and Dogwood.
A big thank you to our community partners and all those who came out to claim your trees and contribute to Ottawa’s tree canopy!
