Rotary Forest Earth Day Tree Planting Guelph Ontario Environment & Conservation News on Guelph Now!

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Rotary Forest Earth Day Tree Planting

Don't Just Talk About Earth Day: Pick Up That Shovel And Make A Difference

by Celeste Walker
Apr 21, 2008

Bring your shovel and have fun with the Funky Mommas

A new Earth Day Event for residents of Guelph and area will mark the launch of a 13-year project to develop a 40-hectare forest at the Guelph Lake Conservation Area.

The event will be held April 26 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the site of the new Rotary Forest, across the street from the Guelph Lake Nature Centre on Conservation Drive, east of Victoria Road North. The opening ceremony will be at 11 a.m.

The forest is a project of the Rotary Club of Guelph, the Grand River Conservation Authority and the Grand River Conservation Foundation. Sponsors of the Earth Day Event include The Co-Operators, Gartner Lee Ltd, Wellington County, the City of Guelph and the Township of Guelph-Eramosa.

The event gives participants the chance to dig in and help plant up to 2,000 trees on the site of the new forest which will eventually be home to 65,000 trees. The Rotary Club of Guelph and the GRCA hope to plant 5,000 trees a year between now and 2020, which is the 100th anniversary of the club.

Colin Ferguson of Rotary confirmed that “the Club buys the trees from the GRCA and organizes the annual Earth Day event as a public awareness opportunity as well as a means of getting many of the trees planted on one day. This is an attempt to improve the canopy cover, if not in the City of Guelph, then on our doorstep, which is one small way we can combat the effects of global warming.”

Although the focus of the event is on putting shovels in the ground, there’s lots more going on:

the Amazing Animal Show with creatures from the Guelph Lake Nature Centre
performances by the Funky Mommas
Earth Day crafts and games for children

A limited number of shovels will be provided so planters are encouraged to bring their own. Groups are encouraged to participate. Challenge your co-workers, your neighbours, your class and your family.

There is no charge for admission and there will be free refreshments. Visitors can bring their own mugs or purchase a Rotary Forest souvenir mug for $2.

Parking will be available at the Lakeside Church on Conservation Road. Guelph Transit buses will provide shuttle service from the parking lot to the Earth Day Event site.

There will also be free shuttle buses leaving from St. George Square in downtown Guelph every 30 minutes.

To learn more about this event please visit The Guelph Lake Nature Centre or call them at 519-836-7860. You can also get more information by viewing the Rotary Club of Guelph’s document on the web entitled An Environmental Project With Community Involvement and Leadership Opportunities.

Did you know?

Trees naturally absorb carbon dioxide (greenhouse gas) from the atmosphere and store it as wood.
New, growing forests, can store tonnes and tonnes of carbon dioxide.
The ‘average' Canadian city tree will absorb about 200 kg of carbon over an 80 year period. On an annual basis, this translates to 2.5 kg of carbon/tree.
Approximately 200,000 hectares of Ontario’s public forests are logged each year; an area more than 3 times larger than the City of Toronto. (2007 Statement by Wildlands League, a chapter of the CPAWS (Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.)
It takes approximately 500 trees to offset an average vehicle's emissions of 5 tonnes of carbon dioxide (the average yearly emissions from a passenger car. -- Tree Canada

Rotary Club of Guelph tree planting 2007