RRCA Seedling Program Enhances Local Tree Cover

Mitigating flooding and erosion, fighting climate change, providing food and habitat to wildlife, enhancing landscapes, and many more benefits can be achieved by planting trees. The Raisin Region Conservation Authority (RRCA) is once again offering a Spring Seedling edition of its popular Over-the-Counter Tree Program, where a selection of native tree and shrub species are made available to landowners at low costs.

“The goal of our spring seedling program is to provide resources for people to plant trees on their property, thereby increasing tree cover in the RRCA watershed,” says Jessica Herrington, RRCA’s Stewardship Coordinator. “The application form for the spring seedling program is now available at rrca.on.ca/Trees. We encourage residents in our jurisdiction to take advantage of this opportunity.”

Available tree species include favorites such as sugar maple, bur oak, and white spruce. Added to this year’s list are pin cherry, mountain ash, bitternut hickory, and more. After selecting their trees and shrubs from the online form, property owners are provided with a tree pickup date in the spring.

This past fall, the RRCA also introduced a potted stock edition of its Over-the-Counter Tree Program, where landowners could select more mature trees, including a variety of heritage fruit trees such as McIntosh first generation, Ritson pear, and pawpaw. Pickup for the fall potted stock program recently wrapped up, but residents are encouraged to subscribe to RRCA’s monthly newsletter at rrca.on.ca to be notified in advance when the next fall program form becomes available.

“RRCA also hosts annual tree giveaways, partners with municipalities for community planting events, and offers a variety of forestry services to assist landowners with their tree planting projects,” says Herrington. “This year, the RRCA added nearly 60,000 trees in the region, adding to the 1.1 million trees planted since 1994.”

Landowners, teachers, businesses, municipalities, and community groups are encouraged to reach out to the RRCA for support with tree planting initiatives. For more information, visit rrca.on.ca/Trees or contact (613) 938-3611 or [email protected].