Amherstburg to mark Earth Day with two tree planting activities

Hundreds of volunteers help with tree planting at McHugh Park on April 24, 2016. (Angelo Aversa / CTV Windsor)

The Town of Amherstburg is “thinking green and getting dirty” this Earth Day with two tree planting events for residents to take part in.

The town will host a tree planting at the Libro Credit Centre where volunteers have already registered to plant 50 trees on April 23 at 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

This initiative was brought to town council by the Amherstburg Environmental Advisory Committee and has engaged the partnership of the Town of Amherstburg and the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA).

Residents will be able to enjoy the new trees as their location will border on a nature trail planned for 2022, the town says.

“We all want to work towards a greener and more sustainable future. These two groups came forward with not only an idea but a plan of action,” Mayor Aldo DiCarlo said in a news release. “The goal of these tree-planting projects is not only to directly mitigate climate change but to foster a culture of environmental stewardship. Council declared a climate emergency in 2019, but we can’t do it alone; the enduring challenges of climate change will take every one of us.”

The second activity is the “Essex Powers Map and Grow Program” where residents can pre-register for one of eight tree species to plan at home. There are 192 trees total.

According to the town, with the commitment and expertise of the University of Windsor’s Faculty of Science, the trees’ GPS coordinates will be mapped and their growth documented for years to come.

This initiative was brought forward by the THRIVE Amherstburg group and supported by donars such as Essex Power, University of Windsor, Essex County

Nature, Cerebral Escape Creations, and the Town of Amherstburg .

Tree pick-up is on April 23 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Libro Credit Centre at 3295 Meloche Road.

More information on the events is available at amherstburg.ca/environment.