May 21, 2021

RRCA summer support staff Reid MacDonell (left) and Jamie Would (right) planting native tree seedlings on the grounds at Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School in South Glengarry.

Raisin Region Conservation Authority (RRCA) has been busy sprucing up the local landscape this spring through its local tree planting initiatives.  A total of 60,000 native trees and shrubs are being planted across the RRCA’s watershed jurisdiction in 2021 adding to the 1 million trees planted by the organization since 1994. 
 
“To improve local forest cover, the RRCA partners with municipalities, schools, and private landowners to support their tree planting projects,” says Jessica Herrington, RRCA Stewardship Coordinator.  “Whether you are looking to plant on idle land, along a shoreline, create a windbreak or even establish a backyard urban forest, the RRCA has you covered.”  
 
Through a partnership with Forests Ontario, landowners looking to plant over 500 trees can qualify for significant cost savings and the RRCA will complete most of the work involved.   “We can prepare a custom site plan to ensure the best seedling survival, prepare the site, order and plant trees, and conduct follow-up assessments,” adds Herrington.  The RRCA is currently booking site visits for spring 2022 tree planting projects. Contact Jessica at Jessica.Herrington@rrca.on.ca to schedule a free consultation. 
 
Landowners looking to plant smaller amounts of trees can order native seedlings from the RRCA this fall to be picked up the following spring. 
 
For this year’s annual Tree Giveaway initiative, the RRCA partnered with its member municipalities, and neighbouring Conservation Authority, South Nation Conservation, to provide thousands of free trees to residents. 
 
The RRCA is one of Ontario’s 36 Conservation Authorities, working to protect and restore the local environment, protect people and property from natural hazards, and support sustainable development activities throughout its watershed jurisdiction in Eastern Ontario. 
 
For more information, contact (613) 938-3611 or info@rrca.on.ca or visit our Forestry page.