Last weekend, LEAF (Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests) held two community planting events to grow the urban forest in Durham with over 500 native trees and shrubs.
These were the first community planting events in Durham Region since LEAF and the Regional Municipality of Durham launched the second year of their partnership to bring the LEAF Backyard Tree Planting Program to Durham residents.
On Saturday, October 16, LEAF partnered with Oshawa to host a community planting event in Central Park. With the help of 53 dedicated community volunteers, they planted 266 native trees and shrubs, including silver maple, eastern white cedar and red osier dogwood. These newly planted trees and shrubs will help increase biodiversity around a creek that feeds into the Oshawa Creek Watershed, as well as enhance recreational space for the community.
In partnership with the Town of Whitby, LEAF hosted another community planting event on Sunday, October 17th in Rosedale Park. Joined by 50 community volunteers eager to help grow the urban forest, they planted 250 native trees and shrubs, including hackberry, fragrant sumac and common ninebark. Increasing tree canopy coverage in this area will promote greater biodiversity in this underutilized park and green recreational space for residents and the wider community.
These planting events were funded by Ontario Power Generation and Ontario Trillium Foundation and supported by the Regional Municipality of Durham.
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