Ontario, Canada, January 2025
A Tree for You is working with PUR to plant trees in Ontario’s agricultural landscapes to meet farmers’ needs, promote biodiversity, and protect soils and waterways. Between 2020 and 2024, this project planted 16 different tree species on 8 farms, with over 13,500 trees established and growing today.
Local technical teams work with farmers to determine the type of planting pattern, tree species, and number of trees to be planted best suited to providing key ecosystem services, while supporting farmers’ long-term goals: some want to protect their crops from wind and weather; they are looking to enrich soils and boost water infiltration. Finally, all encourage planting of trees to enrich biodiversity and re-establish ecological corridors.
The success of tree-planting projects depends on collaboration between many different stakeholders, namely:
- Reliable nurseries: these must supply sufficient quantities of suitable trees each year, while also having the expertise to collect seeds, cultivate and multiply seedlings.
- Local technicians: these experts prepare the ground, plant the trees, and monitor their progress. They develop site-specific solutions and suggest management strategies to optimise results.
- Participating farmers: they play a central role in defining the needs and objectives of the plantation, ensuring its upkeep, and sharing their experience to inspire others.
- Patrons: funding, thanks in particular to A Tree for You and its patrons, is essential for coordinating and implementing each stage, while ensuring the expertise needed to maximise the project’s positive impacts.
This collaborative approach guarantees the sustainability and efficiency of the projects.
In the spring of 2024, a dense windbreak and reforestation section was planted on a 10-hectare farm near Leamington, Ontario. As a result, 1,550 trees of 8 species were planted on this site, including silver maple, swamp oak, and white cedar. The farm,purchased in 2018, is also located near Point Pelee National Park, a biodiverse site on the shores of Lake Erie that is home to over 390 species of birds.
The year 2024 also saw the follow-up and maintenance of trees planted in previous years. In all, 13,500 trees have been planted and are in full growth. These trees will be monitored on a regular basis until December 2025 to ensure their proper establishment and development. At the end of this period, they will be strong enough to continue growing independently.
See you soon for news of the project in Ontario!
