Order trees now for spring 2025 planting
Local conservation authority encourages people to order trees now for spring 2025 planting
Spring Tree Order Form is available on Ausable Bayfield Conservation website; Trees and time in nature promote physical and mental well-being; Thank you to local landowners who plant tens of thousands of trees each year
Trees are good for the environment and for people, according to Ian Jean, Forestry and Land Stewardship Specialist with Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA). Trees and forests contribute to cleaner air and water, can provide sustainable wood products, and also promote physical and mental health, he said.
Spring is not far away, and Ausable Bayfield Conservation provides the opportunity for bulk-ordering trees through the Spring Tree Order Form now through the end of February. It is posted at the conservation authority website at abca.ca on the Order Trees web page.
Final order deadline is February 28, 2025. Ordering sooner is encouraged as availability is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Ausable Bayfield Conservation offers a wide range of trees through its spring tree planting program. The Forestry and Land Stewardship Specialist encourages interested landowners to visit abca.ca for the spring tree order form or to give him a call at 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610 to discuss planting projects.
“We’re happy to help with project design and help to apply for funding for eligible projects,” he said. Funding is available in many areas to support planting trees for windbreaks, for reforestation and for naturalization.
Local landowners plant tens of thousands of trees each year, totaling more than one million trees in the past two decades.
“These efforts have helped tree cover to double in the last 60 years,” Ian said. However, forest cover in our watersheds remains quite low at only 14 per cent according to the Ausable Bayfield Watershed Report Card (2023).
People plant trees for many different reasons, Ian said.
“Everything from field windbreaks, wildlife habitat, bordering walking trails, to retiring unproductive acres or corners of fields to create private natural areas,” he said.
These tree planting projects help protect and improve our soil and water quality that are so important to agriculture, tourism, and quality of life.
Spending time in trees and natural areas has been shown to have physical and mental health benefits, according to Ian. Planting trees is one way a local landowner can achieve recreational and physical and mental well-being benefits on their own property.
An article published on January 2, 2025 by Farmtario (‘How even just 15 minutes in nature can boost your wellbeing’), documents how 15 minutes spent around trees and nature can make a big difference in someone's personal well-being. The article says that:
“Spending time outside, particularly in nature, is important because it can help regulate stress, boost mental health, and improve immune function ... But the good news is you don’t need to spend hours outdoors each day to see benefits. Even just 15 minutes a day in nature is enough to boost your mood, concentration and physical health.”
Ausable Bayfield Conservation thanks grant program funding partners including member municipalities; Huron County Clean Water Project; Forests Canada; the Government of Canada’s Canada Nature Fund; the Government of Ontario’s Great Lakes Local Action Fund; Sunset Community Foundation; and Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation; along with other community donors and other valued funding partners.
If you have property on which you can plant trees, consider purchasing a tree through the tree order program. If you don’t have room on your property for trees, you can still help to improve forest conditions by donating to tree planting through the Footprints to Forests program.