GUELPH – A new almost 10-acre forest is planned in Guelph through a partnership between the City of Guelph, Trees for Guelph, and the Rotary Club of Guelph.
And on Earth Day, April 22, the public is invited to an environmental fair and tree-planting event.
The site is located at 335 Laird Rd. and events run from 9am to 2pm.
There will be a variety of booths, entertainment and food at the fair part of the day. Trees, shovels, mulch, pails and planting instructions are provided on site for tree-planting.
Dress for the weather, and wear boots and gloves for their own comfort.
“This site will take four years to plant and could become part of a future pollinator flyway,” organizers state in a press release.
Officials say the new forest will help clean the air and water and become a home for birds and other wildlife. And when the forest becomes mature, it will sequester approximately 6,000 tonnes of carbon every year.
This site is described as a “pinch point” between the wetlands and forests of the Hanlon Creek and the natural areas of the Paris Galt Moraine.
It has been highlighted in Guelph’s Official Plan as an ecological linkage and restoration area in the natural heritage system because species and ecosystems can only thrive through large, interconnected networks.
The thousands of native trees and shrubs planted over the coming years will create a native forest community on the site.
