Wellington County is well known for its tree planting programs ever since the Green Legacy program got started five years ago.
But Centre Wellington Township has had its own tree farm in operation for several years before that.
Township Public Works Director gave the township’s environmental committee a tour of the property on July 24.
The entrance is a rough one off Gartshore Street, and part of the property is located behind the Wellington Advertiser, which is located at the corner of Gartshore and Gordon Streets.
Many of the trees on the township property have surpassed the 12-foot mark.
Elder said he was pleased with their survival rate because they had been moved in when Fergus was still a town.
Elder explained that the land the trees were on was suddenly sold to a company for industrial land, and town workers had 30 days to get them moved out.
Elder also noted that they were dug out by hand and carried to the area west of Gartshore at the north end of that road.
Despite the quick planting, most of them survived.
Elder said the area has room for 1,000 mature trees and 500 seedlings were planted there this spring.
As well, the township owns much of the bush on the west side of the Advertiser office. Elder said he is not sure what will happen there.
Currently it is being used by a number of people.
There is a dug bicycle ramp, several lean-tos and tree forts, and various amounts of garbage strewn around the forest.
He said that the big problem for the municipality is liability, and he is not sure how the township will eventually develop that park.
But, he said if the township wants to establish an annual mayor’s tree planting, it has the land to do so.
