As seen in The Wilmot-Tavistock Gazette.
Baden Hills was the scene of another great day of tree planting by Let’s Tree Wilmot volunteers. By planting trees, our intention is to help restore the land with native tree cover and prairie. We acknowledged the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation by tying orange ribbons on the trees/stakes we planted. LTW plants and cares for the trees for future generations. We honour the land in our time to help in healing the seven generations to come.
Baden Hills is a unique project. The forest is Waterloo Region property, and the parking lot is Wilmot Township’s property, along with trail maintenance responsibility. Our planning meetings include Wilmot Township, Region of Waterloo, Phil Holst, project head of Mike Schout Wetlands Preserve, Clarence Cachagee of Crow Shield Lodge, and Let’s Tree Wilmot.
The room vibrates with passionate energy when discussing plans. LTW is planting trees and shrubs. The Region is working with Phil to create a pollinator prairie in the areas that you see tilled now. In the future, there will be a natural amphitheatre created to be used by the public, Crow Shield Lodge and others. We will ensure that cedars, a sacred tree, will be planted in accordance with Indigenous teachings.
Baden Hills (Gibney Regional Forest) on Sandhills Road is one of some of the largest kames formed by retreating glaciers in Southern Ontario. In high school geography, I remember them being called drumlins, but apparently, they are slightly different. The soil is predominantly coarse, with outwash sands and sandy loams. We are planting many species of native trees and shrubs amongst the rows of existing walnuts and oaks that were part of an experimental agroforestry site. We can plant understory species because existing trees offer shade for pagoda dogwood, redbud, red elderberry, bladdernut, fragrant sumac, and hop tree, for example. Most of our other projects have no existing tree cover. Some of the tree species we are planting are Carolinian Forest species, which grow south of Wilmot, but with climate change, the boundary of Carolinian forest will move north. Here is the partial list: American Elm (resistant), catalpa, Kentucky coffee tree, red cedar (juniper), hickory, hackberry, white pine, white spruce, and aspen.
Volunteers who plant are young and old. They come as singles, couples and families. They come from outside of Wilmot, seeing our Eventbrite listing, looking for experiences related to the environment. High school students come to complete volunteer hours, and Scouts, their badge requirements. We have a core group who comes out regularly. Planting days are fun times, rain or shine. We have two more days of planting this fall. On Saturday, October 14th, we return to Baden Hills. Saturday October the 28th, both morning and afternoon plantings will be on the township property on the northwest corner of Foundry and Gingerich Roads. This field of non-native grass alongside a stream will become a small wood. In the future, a trail will be created along Foundry Road.
To learn more about Let’s Tree Wilmot and register for tree planting, go to letstreewilmot.ca. There are also resources about where, how and why to plant trees. Check out our YouTube channel. Come plant with us. We have many other volunteer opportunities in planning, maintenance, education and promotion committees.
