Photo Karen Graham.
The William family joined other volunteers on September 15th to plant native seedlings along a stretch of the Millbrook Valley Trails.
More than 50 volunteers planted 150 new trees and shrubs along the edge of the Station Trail section of the Millbrook Valley Trail on Saturday, September 15th as part of TD Tree Days events. The plants replaced sections of trees and shrubs that had been removed during the trail construction.
The native trees and shrubs planted along the trail will support natural diversity and wildlife habitat, and included Eastern White Cedar, White Spruce, White Birch, Trembling Aspen and Red Osier Dogwood. Technical support for the event was provided by Otonabee Conservation staff who also shared information about the value of trees within the natural environment.
Meredith Carter, Manager of Watershed Management programs for Otonabee Conservation, explained, “The planting of trees provides countless benefits from filtering the air we breathe, to regulating temperatures and providing shelter to wildlife. Trees also have a tremendous capacity to capture carbon dioxide, mitigating climate change.”
According to TD Branch Manager Stephanie Tompkins, annual events like this are designed to help TD Bank meet its target of planting 1 million trees by 2030 in communities across the country. So far more than 300,000 trees have been planted in this program since 2010 have absorbed roughly 5,768 tonnes of CO2 – equal to the emissions released from 1,235 passenger vehicles in just one year. As the trees grow and mature overtime, the amount of carbon they absorb each year will increase.
“The day was a great success”, stated Tompkins. “…(the) volunteers had a great time and did an amazing job, which speaks well of the commitment of TD staff, their families and municipal support from the Township of Cavan Monaghan to improving the local environment and enhancing outdoor recreation opportunities through TD Tree Days events.” KG
