Past Tree Planting Efforts Reaping Rewards 

There is a saying “The best time to plant a tree was 30 years ago, the second-best time is today.”  Luckily, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) and others have been planting trees on public and private land for well over 30 years and today we are reaping the benefits of past restoration efforts. The 2022 UTRCA Watershed Report Cards documented a 780 hectare increase between 2010 and 2015 in the Upper Thames River watershed. This is due to forest maturation, where trees planted in blocks in the 1970s and 1980s are now old enough to be considered woodland or forest cover.   

A unique tree planting program is the UTRCA Memorial Forest Program. Under this program, people purchase a tree in memory of a loved one through participating funeral homes and the UTRCA coordinates the planting, often on UTRCA land.   

One such example is the Furtney Memorial Forest, offered in partnership with Logan and Evans Funeral Homes at Fanshawe Conservation Area. In the UTRCA Memorial Forest Program, people purchase a tree in memory of a loved one through participating funeral homes and the UTRCA coordinates the planting, often on UTRCA land. In the early 1990s, a block of memorial forest trees was planted in a grassy area near the start of the Tamarack Trail. Thirty years later, those trees (mostly maples, sycamore, and hackberry) are now nearing maturity. The leaf litter and shade provided by the trees have killed off most of the sod grass and the area is starting to resemble a natural forest! 

The wording on the memorial forest sign says it best: “A living tribute to our loved ones … a better environment for generations to come.” 

For more information on the Memorial Forest Program click here. For information on UTRCA’s other tree planting programs, please visit here.

Contact: Cathy Quinlan, Terrestrial Biologist