One hundred new trees were planted in and around Havenwood Park in Colwood today, thanks to a community-led initiative in celebration of National Tree Day.
Colwood joins cities throughout Canada who are celebrating the many benefits that trees provide – improve air and water quality, prevent soil erosion and flooding, offer shade to control temperatures and conserve energy, attract wildlife, birds and pollinators, increase property values, make Colwood neighbourhoods more beautiful and enjoyable, and contribute to our health and wellness.
A number of groups came together for the project, including the Friends of Havenwood Park, Habitat Acquisition Trust, Plants for the Planet.ca, the Greens and community-minded neighbours from Colwood, Metchosin and Sooke.
They dug in together to clear out broom and plant one hundred donated saplings to reforest an area of the park. The trees will help to hold the soil in place and enhance the beauty of the area.
Keeping the 'wood' in Colwood
The City of Colwood strives to protect existing trees and add new trees at every opportunity.
Colwood’s Urban Forest Bylaw was developed through a community-driven task force and adopted in 2018. The bylaw specifies which trees are protected and requires that replacement trees be planted whenever these trees are removed.
Did you know that when a property is being developed, applicants must provide a tree site plan that specifies where each existing tree is located along with a tree management plan showing how trees will be retained or replaced?
In many cases, new development is adding a significant number of new trees to Colwood’s tree inventory. For example, after almost a century of industrial use as an active gravel operation, the Royal Bay neighbourhood is coming to life. Trees line every street, and will be an important feature of the new network of parks, trails and greenways that is expanding as we speak. Thousands of new trees have been planted and thousands more will follow as the area becomes a prominent seaside village for Colwood.
2011: Overlooking Royal Bay prior to development  |
2019: Latoria Boulevard tree-lined streetscape  |
Colwood is an exceptional seaside city on Vancouver Island in Beautiful British Columbia, Canada. www.colwood.ca
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Sandra Russell, Communications Manager
778-677-5345
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