500 Native Trees and Shrubs Planted at Burlington's Longmoor Park

More than 150 people turned up at Longmoor Park on Saturday to put 500 native trees and shrubs in the ground alongside City of Burlington forestry staff and BurlingtonGreen.

The planting filled the western corner of the park, next to a patch BurlingtonGreen planted early last year with about the same number. Both are Miyawaki forests, a method that packs trees very close together so they compete for sunlight, grow straighter and taller, and crowd out the weak or sick ones.

More than 25 species went into the ground. Everyone who dug a hole also sprinkled tobacco into the soil as part of an Indigenous tradition, and the afternoon included seed balls made from clay and black-eyed susan seeds plus eco-trivia with prizes.

Not all of the new trees will survive. "We do not expect them all to survive, we anticipate around 50 per cent attrition in the next 10 years, but those that do survive will become established and healthy," said Kyle McLoughlin, the City's supervisor of forest health and planning. "Every single one of these trees helps to mitigate storm surges, divert water from our drainage systems and keep our cities cool."

Why the mix matters

"We can never fully replicate nature, but by planting a diversity of species like this we can mimic it by creating a varied, healthy environment," said Amy Schnurr, executive director of BurlingtonGreen. "This gives us the benefits from clean air and erosion control, and the different plants serve as habitats for different species."

The new trees count toward Burlington's target of 35 per cent tree canopy coverage by 2061. BurlingtonGreen has planted more than 26,000 native shrubs, grasses and trees around the city in its 19 years.