Tree Power comes to Stratford (UTRCA Weekly, March 4, 2021)
March 4, 2021 – The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority’s (UTRCA) popular Tree Power program is coming to the City of Stratford in 2021! The new Festival Hydro Tree Power program enables residents to purchase native trees to plant on their own property. Festival Hydro is sponsoring the program in Stratford. The UTRCA has also partnered with the City of Stratford’s Energy and Environment Committee and Stratford Master Gardeners to help deliver the program.
While the program is new to Stratford, Tree Power has been running in London for ten years and is very popular, selling out of trees within minutes of the online ordering going live. Nearly 6,000 trees have been planted in London through the program there.
In Stratford, 300 potted trees will be available this year. The UTRCA’s Forester, John Enright, has selected six native species that are well-suited for the area: American Sycamore, Downy Serviceberry, Red Maple, Red Oak, Swamp White Oak, and Yellow Birch.
Jo-Dee Burbach, Stratford City Councillor and Energy and Environment Committee Member, is excited about this new partnership. “This project will help Stratford increase the number of native trees growing in the City, bringing many benefits to our local environment including increasing our tree canopy, absorbing carbon, and beautifying our community,” said Councillor Burbach.
Online tree orders open at 10 am on Tuesday, March 9th and will be available as supplies last. Purchasers can pick up their trees in Stratford on April 9th and 10th. Find out more information about the program and the available tree species.
“The majority of land in Stratford is privately owned, so in order to increase our tree canopy to a more healthy level, we need to work together,” explained Councillor Burbach. “This program is an excellent opportunity for homeowners to add a native tree to their property in a convenient and affordable way, and it takes the guesswork out of finding the right species for our area.”
This project also supports the UTRCA’s environmental target of establishing and restoring 1500 hectares of natural vegetation cover, windbreaks and buffers, to help improve the health of the watershed.
Contact: John Enright, Forester, or Karen Pugh, Resource Specialist