When you live in a place for a long time, you start to take things for granted or not even notice things at all.
I would encourage you as you drive around our township to see the difference, over time, that farmers and property owners are making together to add trees to the rural landscape.
Having lived in the township for over 30 years now, I see many changes. As you travel around Mapleton you might see a windbreak that was planted over 30 years ago, a new windbreak just starting to show along a fence line, shelterbelts protecting a farm and its buildings from the summer and winter elements, trees planted along creek banks, living snow fences in the fields helping to make roads safer, and larger block plantings of trees.
Windbreaks are an important feature in our landscape. They work well to protect the soil and crops from wind and erosion. They can work well to slow the wind in areas that are open and have wide sweeps of fields. This prevents topsoil from ending up in the ditch.
Wind erosion is more easily noticed in winter when the soil stains the snowdrifts along the road. If you see snow blowing across the road, take note of what is (or is not) there. These may be areas that could really benefit from having a windbreak planted.
In the past, windbreaks were made up of three to four rows of trees. However, planting a single row of trees can still be quite effective. Between 1998 and 2013, Mapleton residents have collectively planted 102 kilometres of windbreaks in the township. To visualize that, think of a row of trees planted all the way to Guelph and back. This doesn’t include the many windbreaks that were planted before 1998 in the township. More areas could benefit from windbreaks. Some concessions are covered better than others.
Between 1998 and 2013, we have planted over 15 kilometres of shelterbelts in Mapleton around our farmsteads. Shelterbelts seem to really improve the look of a farm or property. But, more importantly, they add real value in protecting buildings and animals from the weather and help us save on heating and cooling costs.
Depending on the property, trees can actually help keep snow out of the yard and reduce the time spent removing snow. It always pays to think long-term when planting shelterbelts and get the advice of a tree specialist. They know what works well and where the trees should be planted.
Riparian buffers or creek buffers often include vegetation of shrubs and trees along the watercourse. These help prevent precious soil from running off the fields, shade the water running through the creek, stabilize the banks and keep nutrients in the field.
Of all the areas on our farms and properties, riparian (creek) buffers have the most potential to improve our impact on the environment (especially our water) and they take very little land out of production. Over 21 kilometres of creeks in Mapleton have had trees planted along them between 1998 and 2013. There are many more areas in the township that could benefit from a riparian buffer. When planting a buffer, a tree specialist can help inform you about which trees can impact tile drains, which trees do not reach out into the fields, and which trees require less maintenance.
Block plantings (larger areas of trees) are not as common in Mapleton township, but can play a great role in areas where there is marginal land, areas that are too small to work with today’s machinery, or for a number of other reasons. Between 1998 and 2013, over 205 acres have been block planted with trees. This does not include the large plantings this year on GRCA land around Conestogo Lake.
Each year more trees are being planted. In some cases the person planting those trees may never see the rewards, but they do it anyway because they care about future generations and they care about their property.
People outside the township see the differences the trees are making and how the township is kept. Whatever the reason people plant trees, it is making a difference.
There are still many places in the township that would benefit from more trees being planted and the committee of Trees for Mapleton encourages residents to contact Mark Funk, forestry specialist, at 519-621-2761 or email mfunk@grandriver.ca. Anyone interested in the work of the committee and getting involved is urged to contact Liz Samis at 519-638-3268 for more details.
