HAFFORD – As part of the “ARBRE” (TREE) national tree planting project stemming from Canada’s hosting the G7 Summit in La Malbaie, Que., in June, the Redberry Lake Biosphere and its partners organized a tree-planting event May 15.
The aim of the ARBRE project is to raise awareness of the importance of trees in biosphere reserves and the role they play in the environment. The project is the brainchild of the Charlevoix Biosphere Reserve and is part of its agreement with the Government of Canada to reduce the environmental footprint of the G7 Summit, which will take place in the heart of the biosphere reserve.
During the May 15 event, held at the selected tree-planting site seven kilometres west of Hafford, guest forester Serge Gauvin from Baie St. Paul in the Charlevoix Biosphere Reserve mentioned the important role played by Canada’s biosphere reserves in their communities. He pointed out this activity is part of a national collaboration between the Canadian Biosphere Reserves Association and the Government of Canada.
“One hundred thousand trees will be planted in 14 Canadian biosphere reserves in order to offset some of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with holding the G7 Summit,” he explained.
“This initiative combines educational and social objectives, and will help replenish, rehabilitate or reforest sites chosen by the participating local communities.”
Peter Kingsmill, past-chair of the Redberry Lake Biosphere Reserve, explained the partnerships involved in the tree-planting project and thanked project co-ordinator Michaela Baule and Hafford School teacher Larissa Matechuk, as well as professional forester Volker Schmidt and Carrier Forest Products (the local project’s forestry partner), which provided technical expertise as well as the 1,000 white spruce seedlings). He also thanked the Meewasin Valley Authority for providing the specialized tree-planting shovels required for this exercise.
“I have to confess that in our particular area we have more tools on hand to remove trees than we have for planting them,” Kingsmill commented.
Redberry Lake Biosphere Executive Director John Kindrachuk brought his organization’s appreciation to the 25 Grade 7 and 8 students for their enthusiastic participation in the project, and to the 16 to 43 Waste Management Corporation for entering into an agreement to dedicate one hectare of land within Aspen Innovation Park for this national co-operative exercise.
“The Corporation, which owns Aspen Innovation Park, understands and embraces the purpose of this symbolic planting of 1,000 trees and was happy to be asked to be part of this event.
The municipalities involved with the corporation share the goals of the Charlevoix Biosphere Reserve to reduce waste (especially plastic) and to seek clean energy options to mitigate the effects and causes of climate change.”
Kindrachuk concluded his remarks with the words, “this collaboration is a concrete way of putting words into action, something we try to do every day in Canada’s biosphere reserves, whether at Redberry, Charlevoix, or the other 16 biosphere reserves across Canada."
