On Wednesday, September 25, the Town of Oakville along with Oakvillegreen Conservation Association and community volunteers, will plant 500 trees at Oakville Park in celebration of National Tree Day.
As part of the town’s Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) management program, a section of Oakville Park has been identified as a Prime Site for intensive regeneration. Dead and dying ash trees destroyed by EAB were removed from the park last winter to address public safety concerns.
“The town is dedicated to reaching a 40 per cent urban forest canopy,” said Mayor Rob Burton. “Council will continue the work we’re doing to create a cleaner, greener Oakville, and strengthen our capacity to deal with invasive species like EAB.”
While natural regeneration will account for most of the regrowth in the woodlands, the town has implemented a Woodlands Conservation Program and established a number of concentrated planting sites called Prime Sites to offset the damage caused by EAB.
“Tree plantings are one of many ways in which the town is preserving Oakville’s tree canopy,” said John McNeil, manager of Forestry Services. “Oakville has the most aggressive EAB management program in Canada, which includes bi-annual treatment of over 5,000 public ash trees.”
The town has now completed treatment of all ash trees scheduled for treatment this year. As part of Health Canada’s approval of the natural bio-insecticide TreeAzin, the deadline to treat ash trees from the threat of EAB was August 31. Treatments will resume next spring.
In celebration of National Tree Day, the not-for-profit organization Tree Canada is challenging all Canadians to help plant 20,000 trees across the country. The town is supporting many community tree planting events over the coming weeks to help reach that goal, including a Suncor planting at Woodgate Woods; a Rotary Club of Oakville planting at Cornwall Sports Park; a CheerForce cheerleading team planting at Bloomfield Park; and a BMO planting at Shell Park.
Residents and community groups interested in joining the Oakville Parks planting should register by emailing [email protected] by September 16. The event will take place from 3 to 6 p.m. at the woodlot north of White Oaks Secondary School’s North Campus parking lot at 1065 McCraney Street East.