By Louis Silcox and LTW team as seen in the Wilmot-Tavistock Gazette
As trees grow, they add a ring to their trunk every year as they get taller and stronger. Garden Wilmot’s project, Let’s Tree Wilmot is growing, adding a new ring, to advance our goal of restoring and growing Wilmot’s tree canopy.
Since 2020, we’ve invited Wilmot residents to come to dozens of planting days and added nearly 7000 trees to our tree cover. The Township has given 1280 trees to residents to plant at their homes. Other groups have been planting on our roadsides and private properties, so we are counting over 11,000 trees so far. A great start!
Our new campaign, Wilmot Rooted Together: a tree for everyone, is a project to encourage the planting of trees on private land to further increase our township’s tree canopy. We will be keeping count of all the trees being planted by LTW, the township, other groups and most importantly, by you, the public. Our goal is to match the number of trees planted to the township’s population – a tree for everyone by 2030, LTW’s 10th anniversary.
Why are we doing this? LTW has been busy planting on our public lands but most land in Wilmot is privately owned so to effectively increase our tree canopy, we need your help. Trees grow in communities with roots intertwined to give support and also share resources. Wilmot Rooted Together is about creating those same connections – neighbors working together to plant trees and strengthen our community for generations to come.
There are many reasons to add trees or shrubs where you can. From supporting biodiversity and providing wildlife habitat to cooling the air in summer, reducing winter winds, dampening traffic noise, enhancing beauty, and increasing property values, the benefits of trees are far-reaching.
While we prefer people to plant native trees and shrubs that best support our environment, we’ll count all new trees and shrubs. Why the native tree/shrub preference? Our native pollinators, birds and others, have evolved alongside our native flora, which provides all the ingredients needed to raise their young and feed themselves. Take the Monarch butterfly, for example – no milkweed means no Monarchs. Monarchs need this keystone species to survive. An oak tree is a keystone species for 400-500 species. A gingko offers no similar benefits to our local wildlife.
Go out and buy and plant a tree or more. Let us know! Go to our website LetsTreeWilmot.ca/Wilmot-Rooted-Together and let us know how many trees you have planted this year. We are all in this together.
Not sure what is native tree or shrub? Our website, LetsTreeWilmot.ca/Wilmot-Rooted-Together, has lists of recommended native trees and shrubs that are suitable for our soils and climate.
We are counting on you!
