15,000 TREES PLANTED IN THAMES CENTRE
THAMES CENTRE – The Municipality of Thames Centre has announced that 15,000 trees have been planted in Thames Centre this year.
“This is a significant accomplishment,” noted Mayor Sharron McMillan. “Planting 15,000 trees shows the dedication of people in our community, and effectiveness of the groups we’ve partnered with to preserve and protect our environment.”
On January 12, 2024 Council adopted its official Tree Planting Plan. This plan called for the planting of 50,000 trees over the next 25 years.
The Tree Planting Plan outlines a comprehensive strategy to engage community partners, to protect existing trees, and to re-establish the Carolinian forests that are naturally found in the region. According to the Government of Canada, it has been estimated that more than 50% of the federally-listed species at risk occur in Ontario’s Carolinian Zone.
“The planting of 15,000 trees marks a significant step forward in the implementation of Council’s Strategic Plan and its commitment to a greener, healthier community,” said David Barrick, Chief Administrative Officer. "From a staff perspective, this initiative can only be made possible through meaningful partnerships. Together, we are creating green spaces that will benefit generations to come, contributing to cleaner air, more biodiverse habitats, and improved quality of life for all residents.”
Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) Chair Danielle Lockie noted the importance of tree planting was a common theme during the committee’s public consultations.
“Tree planting and habitat restoration were identified as two of the environmental issues most important to the people in our community in our environmental survey,” said Lockie. “Tree planting was also one of the most popular topics of discussion at the in-person Green Town Hall Meetings that were held in October. Taking action on tree planting is taking care of one of the top environmental priorities in our community.”
Throughout the fall, local residents participated in public consultation vehicles like Green Town Hall Meetings and the EAC’s online survey. 84% of online survey respondents noted habitat restoration as an issue of importance to them, while 73% noted that the Tree Planting Plan as important.
The Thames Centre Environmental Advisory Committee will meet next on December 2nd to review feedback gathered through public consultation, and to deliberate on what future actions will be taken to deliver results on environmental issues like the Tree Planting Plan.
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For more information, please contact:
Michael Ramnanan
Communications Manager
Tel: 519-268-7334 ext. 258
Email: mramnanan@thamescentre.on.ca