Thanks to willing watershed residents, we’ve planted over 3,000 trees and shrubs on local home properties, through CVC’s Sustainable Home Landscapes Program since 2010.
Planting Trees in Urban Yards
For the past several years, we’ve focused on tree planting to help shade and cool cities, towns and villages. As trees grow, so will their impact. Trees capture carbon, cool the air and clean it of pollutants like ozone, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide and provide shade on roads, roofs and sidewalks.
The trees offered through our Neighbourhood Tree Giveaway increase habitat for local pollinators, such as eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies, polyphemus moths and eastern common bumble bees. Resident and migratory birds, such as chickadees and cedar waxwings also benefit from the increased amount of local, native trees.
We’ve also planted shrubs to add layers to urban plantings, more closely mimicking natural forest layers and diversifying our plantings. Shrubs help cool the air, protect soils and provide food and shelter for birds, such as goldfinch, cardinals and yellow warblers. Purple-flowering raspberry, eastern ninebark, white meadowsweet and black chokeberry are some native shrubs that can help you achieve these goals.
Creating Climate Resilient Communities
To build climate change resilience, we choose species that grow well in urban conditions. For example, common hackberry is one of the most resilient native trees growing in Southern Ontario, tolerant of drought, salt, air pollutants, foot traffic, and other stressors. Paper birch trees are valued for aesthetic benefits like dappled shade and white bark while still being resilient to salt, drought and nearby walnut trees.
Trees we’re planting in 2025 include: alternate-leaf dogwood, common hackberry, eastern red cedar, Freeman’s maple, northern red oak, paper birch and smooth serviceberry. Large or small, each one provides multiple benefits and all make an attractive addition to your yard. Which one is right for your property?
A huge thank you to all who have planted trees in their yards with us in the past 15 years–you’re making a noticeable difference in your community!