7 Million trees planted by ERCA

What is the tree cover at in Windsor-Essex and what do we need to get to? CTV Windsor’s Bob Bellacicco looks into it.

It was a nice day Thursday to do a lot of things outdoors including plant a tree.

The Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) planted a Basswood tree at the Maidstone Woods Conservation Area — it was tree number seven million planted by ERCA since forming in 1973.

“Milestones are important, but what’s more important that we are actively continuing with tree planting, and we are targeting something that provides sustainability for this entire watershed.” said ERCA CAO Tim Byrne.

For perspective, The WFCU Centre would be filled 11,000 times if each seat was taken by the seven million trees.

The Maidstone Woods Conservation Area and today’s ceremony was special for Byrne. “My Uncle Jim sold this property to the conservation authority back in 1973 and here I find myself today for that type of announcement. It’s something else.”

There used to be a baseball diamond at the conservation area and Amy Moore spent a good part of her childhood running around and playing on the property.

“A lot of fallen trees and with all the climate change and the weather that we’ve had, very important to preserve the ecosystem and, continue, to be good stewards.” Moore said.

In the span of 52 years, ERCA has been able to increase forest coverage from three per cent to 5.4 per cent. The percentage of total natural areas is now at 8.5 per cent.

However, the standard set by the United Nations for environmental sustainability is 12 per cent, which ERCA wants to surpass.

“Money, of course, is always a challenge but it’s getting more difficult now to actually find and locate land suitable for restoration.” Byrne told CTV News.

ERCA has no more vacant land to use for tree planting and is putting a call out to anyone with property that could no longer be productive farmland, or a property not suitable for development.

“Extinction touches everyone and everything so people need to realize we will not be here if these areas are not here.” Byrne noted.

ERCA plans to plant another 70,000 trees in the next six weeks, 2,200 of those will go into the ground this Sunday on the Ganatchio Trail at Florence and Wyandotte. The event starts at 10 a.m.