On October 15th, 2022, CAFES Ottawa, Ecology Ottawa, and Forêt Capitale Forest came together, in order to rescue trees, give away tree saplings, and find new homes for tree saplings. All three organizations worked very hard to get the job done.
The tree giveaway was fairly successful. A large number of volunteers travelled to the Just Food Community Farm, so that they could help rescue some trees. The Just Food Community Farm is located outside of Blackburn Hamlet.
A large number of trees were given away, and we also managed to plant a large number of trees at the community farm. There were several different types of trees given away, including white spruce, white pine, red pine, white cedar, tamarack, yellow birch, black elderberry, red maple, red oak, bur oak, and two types of willows. Planting many different types of tree species helps to improve the health of our local ecosystem.
In total, more than 1,100 trees were either given away or planted. It seemed like everyone enjoyed themselves, and the volunteers also learned about tree horticulture. Thanks to all the volunteers for helping out, and thank you to Ecology Ottawa, and Forêt Capitale Forest. We look forward to working together on future projects and events. There will always be new trees that need to be planted.
With any luck, we will plant an even greater number of trees next year. Planting new trees is what helps to make Ottawa such a beautiful city.
