To celebrate Tree Appreciation Day this year, residents are invited to get their hands dirty while planting and learning about Garry Oak trees and local native plants. The all-ages event includes a tree planting demonstration by Central Saanich Parks staff and an opportunity to help plant native plants and Garry Oak and Aspen trees.
“Each year, Tree Appreciation Day provides skills and awareness to the community,” said Central Saanich Mayor Ryan Windsor. “This year’s event will celebrate the importance of Garry Oak meadows and native aspen trees in Central Saanich and highlight their ability to adapt to climate change.”
Join us on Sunday, November 6, at 10 a.m. at Adam Kerr Park, located at the corner of Keating Cross Road and Central Saanich Road. Please wear clothes suitable for planting, including gloves/boots and bring a small shovel or spade. Hot chocolate will be available, courtesy of the Central Saanich Lions Club.
Did you know?
- Planting trees helps provide more shade/canopy cover which lowers temperatures and contributes to cleaner air.
- A single tree can absorb 10 pounds of air pollutants per year.
- Healthy trees and ecosystems increase resilience to climate impacts such as increased rainfall and warmer summer temperatures.
- Trees play an important climate change mitigation role by absorbing carbon from the atmosphere.
- Trees capture carbon and become carbon ‘sinks’ which reduce the Greenhouse Effect. (You need about 500 full-sized trees to absorb the carbon dioxide produced by a typical car driven 20,000 km/year.)
- Trees intercept rainfall and reduce run-off, thereby functioning like retention/detention basins.
- Trees and natural spaces have been shown to improve our health and have a psychological impact on our moods and emotions.
- Biodiversity on our planet is declining at an alarming rate. This planting event provides a way we can work together to do our part to improve biodiversity.
- Garry oak was named by botanist and explorer David Douglas for Nicholas Garry of the Hudson's Bay Company, who helped him during his travels. In Oregon, where it is quite common, this species is called Oregon white oak. Quercus is the Latin name for "oak."