Celebrate our Trees and Natural Areas During National Forest Week

September 20 to 26 is National Forest Week, a dedicated week where Mississauga residents and businesses can learn more about trees and raise awareness about the value forests play within our economy, culture, traditions, history and future. Recognized throughout Canada, the week is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

“I encourage all residents to celebrate National Forest Week by planting a tree to help us get one step closer to our goal of one million more trees,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “Plant a tree on your property or take part in our planting program. There are so many opportunities to learn more about the benefits trees and forests offer to our city, including reducing our carbon footprint.”

Over the past two years, the City was awarded the designations of Tree Cities of the World and Bee City. Additionally, the City in partnership with The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), eliminated the non-native invasive Asian longhorned beetle from its tree canopy after five years of no detection of this pest.

“Over the last decade, the City’s efforts to preserve, enhance and protect our trees has paid off. We’ve made it a priority to address the environmental pressures trees face like invasive species, urban redevelopment and severe weather events. This ensures our trees are well cared for, maintained and healthy,” said Jodi Robillos, Director, Parks, Forestry & Environment. “National Forest Week is an excellent opportunity to celebrate the City’s investment in its more than 2.1 million trees – all of which provide countless benefits to the city like cleaning the air, helping with climate change effects, lowering temperatures and providing shade on hot days.”

The City was also the recipient of the TD Green Space Grant from TD Bank Group (TD) and the Arbor Day Foundation. The grant will help the City support urban forestry by providing:

• 450 trees to be planted in Mississauga parks and natural areas by a number of community groups
• 100 trees to be given away to Mississauga residents
• Tree-specific webinars for residents to learn more

“Green spaces and natural areas like our parks, woodlands and streams play a critical role in making Mississauga a livable city,” said Brent Reid, Manager, Forestry. “We have approximately 2.1 million trees in Mississauga and we are working to plant one million more by 2032 through our One Million Trees program. Trees are fundamental to Mississauga’s environmental, social and economic well-being, and help us enhance our greenspaces. Trees also provide valuable ecosystem services such as pollution filtration, flood control and carbon storage.”

One Million Trees Mississauga was launched to help conserve and enhance the City’s open spaces and forested areas for future generations to enjoy. For more information on how to participate during National Forest Week, visit onemilliontrees.ca.

Background:
The City’s Forestry section plans and implements urban forest management within the City and annually receives more than 18,000 annual service requests. There are more than 300 publicly owned woodlands and natural areas covering 2,777 acres (1,124 hectares).

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Tags

• Climate Change
• Parks and Forestry
• Trees