Tim McKinney introduced Maya Navrot, Education and Stewardship Co-Ordinator with Quinte Conservation as today's guest speaker. Tim has formed a Rotary Loves Trees Committee with a tree planting project planned for April 25th and Maya jumped on board and spoke to the Satellite Club and is here today to provide more information. Maya, if you haven't already guessed is passionate about trees. Quinte Conservation is one of Ontario’s 36 Conservation Authorities. They are a community based environmental protection agency, their main goal is to ensure the healthy co-existence between the community, its environment and its economy. Our area of jurisdiction includes the watersheds of the Moira, Napanee and Salmon Rivers and all of Prince Edward County. In the area of water management, Quinte Conservation endeavours to reduce the threat of loss of life and property damage through flood warnings, flood forecasting and the operation and maintenance of flood control structures. Quinte Conservation owns, operates and maintains 39 water control structures.
Two hundred years ago, the landscape you see today in this area would be very different with 85% being dense mature forests. When the settlers arrived in the 1800's, there was mass clearing of the land and much of the forest was removed. About 20% to 30% remains. This mass clearing resulted in soil erosion, flooding and loss of habitat and early in 1900, the provincial government established four grow areas with the goal that tens of millions of trees would be re-planted, the majority of which were conifer plantations in the 1950's. Today, the tree planting push continues under the 50 million tree program. Quinte Conservation is working with partners to plant over 15,000 trees.
Why more trees? To provide oxygen, one tree provides oxygen for four people everyday. Trees filter the air and remove and trap dust, pollen. Trees slow run-off and reduce the severity of floods. Rain can be absorbed. Trees also provide a cooling effect and cast shade on sidewalks and driveways, reducing temperatures by up to 9 degrees. Trees provide wind protection on fields to protect crops. Trees shade your home and provide privacy and lower cooling/heating costs in your home. We are getting extreme weather with droughts, flooding, high water levels, ice storms. We need to decrease emissions and sequester excess carbons. Trees are the best way to do this by taking in carbon and storing it. Anyone can plant a diversity of trees, just about anywhere. In your yard, at your business, school yards, retired farm field. Choose Ontario native trees such as red oak, white spruce, black cherry, tulip tree. Know the soil composition of your site, moisture, light or shade.
The Community Tree Program provides trees at wholesale price and sells them to organizations and this is a project that Tim is spearheading through Rotary. To get more trees planted. April 25th is the tree planting day with more details to follow.
Maya was thanked by Ken Dickson and appreciated the lesson on why trees are important and why they shouldn't be taken for granted.