Pia Marin, 9, and her brother Ernesto, 12, colour leaves at the Festival of Trees workshop.
The City of Ottawa is moving to address Centretown’s lack of greenspace by planting trees along roadways and on the grounds of private residences, schools and businesses.
The initiative is part of the city's Tree, Reforestation and Environmental Enhancement program. It began last year and is about half-way toward its target of planting 50,000 trees in Ottawa.
To raise awareness of the benefits of urban forests, the Canadian Museum of Nature hosted a “tree celebration” earlier this month to recognize the program's success.
The program works by allowing residents, businesses, community groups and schools to plant trees on private and municipal property with the costs covered by the city.
Centretown is deprived of greenspace compared with other areas of Ottawa, says Catherine Coleman, who sits on the Ottawa Forest and Greenspace Advisory Committee.
“Somerset Ward has the lowest greenspace per 1,000 residents in Ottawa,” says Coleman.
One tree-planting project is underway along Bank Street.
Jim McCready, program forester for Tree Canada, a not-for-profit, charitable organization that increases urban forests in Canada, says maintenance of trees – which includes pruning, watering and protecting the bark from damage – is an important step for the success of the TREE program.
However, Bank Street trees are not being well maintained and are threatened by construction, says Susan Kerr, president of Friends of Dundonald Park.
“The topsoil where the trees are growing is filled with concrete and debris . . . the trees are dying” says Kerr, adding that a tree planted in Minto Park for Ottawa’s 150 anniversary has died from lack of maintenance.
The TREE program also aims to protect existing trees from development. Coleman says conservation of existing trees is as important as planting trees.
The Dominican Gardens, considered a green gem by Centretown residents, is currently threatened by a proposed condominium development.
The private park between Empress and Lorne avenues is owned by Dominican University College, which recently put the property up for sale. Nearly 40 species of native trees may be destroyed, says Coleman.
She says developers have an upper hand with bylaws that allow them to destroy trees before plans are approved by the city.
Coleman says the city needs a better tree-conservation strategy.
“Little pocket parks like the Dominican Gardens are important to preserve,” says Coleman. “Being a resident near the gardens, I am sure we can work through the city’s strategies for greenspace and conservation to conserve this space.”
Volunteers with the TREE program are planting mostly native tree species that are resistant to Ottawa’s harsh climate. Native trees are also more resilient against tree-infesting insects.
Jeff Blackadar, past president of the Ottawa Horticulture Society, says planting native trees and increasing biodiversity is an important step to prevent insect epidemics.
Currently, the city has limited resources for planting and preserving trees. Informing the public about issues of decreasing urban greenspace is difficult because programs like the Tree Ceremony are underfunded, observers say.
For now, citizen groups are working together to plant and protect trees. “Lots of people are very interested,” says Coleman, adding that “anything we can do as downtown residents to boost the amount of greenspace is important.”