Assiniboine Food Forest launching reforestation project
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/02/2020 (2104 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The Assiniboine Food Forest has a new plan to help regenerate the city’s forests while letting people put their name on a tree at the same time.
Called the Legacy Tree Initiative, people can buy a food-producing or leafy tree to commemorate a birth, death, anniversary or any occasion, said food forest chairman Dave Barnes.
“Loads of trees need to get planted over the next 40 years; there’s a lot of work to be done, so we think that it’s a kind of worthy gesture for people that want to celebrate a birth or a passing, a life well-lived,” Barnes said.
“There are so many reasons … we just think that a tree is a meaningful gift.”
Trees cost $75 and will be marked for the special occasion. Volunteers from the food forest will water it and make sure it stays alive. Barnes said the trees will be a good size when they are planted, so they won’t be a tiny sapling.
The goal is to fill the food forest’s paths and trail system with new trees. The food forest also has a Legacy Orchard in need of trees, which Barnes said he hopes will start producing fruit in the next few years.
“We’re hoping for a large variety of trees,” he said. “Most of what we want, of course, is native species. We want to encourage those trees that are native to the landscape, those are going to be the backbone of our work.”
The project comes while Brandon is still under threat from the emerald ash borer. The pest hasn’t been found in the city, but it could destroy large swaths of the city’s ash tree canopy.
The city also came in below its goal for tree planting last year. The loss of two major grants, which normally total $25,000, meant the city was only able to plant 176 trees out of a goal of 400 trees.
Projects like the Legacy Tree Initiative are also a way to fight climate change, Barnes said.
“The ecological work that we promote really could be, or should be, the key principle in the climate-change perspective in the world today. We need to find ways just to stop destroying habitat, but we need to find ways to create thriving habitat,” he said.
“It’s a big challenge, (the Assiniboine Food Forest) is a small piece of land, but we are hoping to see these sorts of ideas go forward because restoring habitat is the fastest way of sequestering carbon. “
More details on how to buy a tree are available on the food forest’s website (assiniboinefoodforest.com).
» dmay@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @DrewMay_