Displaying items by tag: 50 million trees

May 16, 2019 – The cancellation of the provincial 50 Million Trees program has generated a lot of conversation – and with good reason. As Ontario residents mop up from record flooding, and as climate change promises more intense weather to come, we need to be adding tree programs, not chopping them.

Trees are a vital part of a healthy environment: they clean our air, they create habitat, they capture carbon and they reduce runoff and erosion. They also help us fight floods like the one Ottawa saw this spring.

At the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA), we’ve relied on the 50 Million Trees Program since 2007 to help us plant +200,000 seedlings every spring. Without it, we may find ourselves planting 20,000 trees instead of 200,000 – unless our generous community, corporate and individual supporters can help.

Under the program, landowners currently pay as low as $0.15 per tree, or $120 per acre, to reforest their retired farm fields and marginal lands. But without the provincial funding, tree planting will becoming unaffordable for many landowners and that will drastically reduce the number of trees being planted in the Rideau Valley watershed.

It will also mean local job losses. Our seedlings are grown at Ferguson Forestry Centre in Kemptville, which will face layoffs and financial losses because of the program cuts.

But all is not lost. We know there is an appetite in this community to work together to fight floods, combat climate change and make our community liveable now and in the future.

Donations, corporate sponsorships and community partnerships can save this cost-effective and successful tree planting program and continue growing a living legacy right here in our backyards.

And if we can do that, everybody wins.

To support the program, visit canadahelps.org or contact Diane Downey, executive director of the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation, a registered charity which supports the RVCA’s conservation and watershed management goals. She can be reached at or 613-692-3571 ext. 1126.

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June 19, 2019 – Our hardworking forestry team has wrapped up another successful tree planting season, and they’re already looking ahead to next year.

The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) is now booking site visits with landowners wishing to reforest their retired farm fields or otherwise empty and idle lands.

The low-cost, full-service program includes free site visits, custom planting plans, site preparation, tree planting, follow-up assessments and maintenance to give the seedlings the best chance of survival. All of this is available for only $0.15 per tree, or $120 an acre!

“Increasing forest cover is critical to watershed health, but so much of the land is privately owned,” said forestry program manager Scott Danford. “This program offers landowners easy and affordable tree planting services while helping us meet our larger watershed management goals.” 

This year Danford’s team planted about 200,000 trees across the region. The RVCA has planted 6.4 million trees since 1984 and aims to hit 6.5 million in 2020.

“The RVCA staff have been a pleasure to work with since we started in 2014,” said Maberly landowner Peter Ginsberg. “I'm very happy with this program that made it possible for us to help support the planting of almost 12,000 trees on our property.”

The forestry team is booking site visits this summer to plan for the 2020 spring planting season. The planting area must be at least one acre in size, suitable for tree planting and the landowner must be willing to plant 1,000 trees or more.

Typical costs are $0.15/tree ($120/acre). The RVCA and its planting partners cover all other costs.

“We have several community-minded partners who support our tree planting program,” said Danford.

Planting partners include the City of Ottawa’s Green Acres program and Forests Ontario, Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority, Eastern Ontario Model Forest, Pratt & Whitney Canada, McGarry Funeral Homes, Stingray LiVE 88.5, Carleton Refrigeration, Pratt & Whitney Canada and the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation also contribute to the forestry program to keep costs low for landowners.

Tree planting is one of the most practical ways to take care of our watershed and the wider environment. RVCA’s reforestation programs are a great way for landowners to improve their property by:

• Protecting soil from erosion
• Improving water quality
• Reducing the risk of flooding
• Carbon sequestration
• Improving wildlife habitat
• Increasing biodiversity
• Water conservation and so much more!

If you want to plant trees, book a site visit or to get more information, call Scott Danford at 613-692-3571 or 1-800-267-3504 ext. 1175 or email .

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