- Work is underway to plant 150 trees, funded by the Niagara Parks Foundation
- An additional 65 Oak Trees are being planted through the support of the Chautauqua Oaks Project
Niagara-the-Lake, ON – Niagara Parks has now begun work to plant over 200 new trees at Paradise Grove on the north Niagara Parkway, fulfilling its commitment following the removal for safety reasons of 30 dead oak trees this past summer. The tree planting has been made possible through the support of the Niagara Parks Foundation and the Chautauqua Oaks Project.
Paradise Grove is representative of a remnant Black oak savannah, which is one of the rarest habitat types in Ontario. The dead oak trees, located near or adjacent to the Parkway and the Niagara River Recreation Trail, posed a safety risk to visitors if left standing. These dead trees have been harvested for their wood and will be re-purposed in the future for uses such as public park benches.
Through the Niagara Parks Foundation and its priority of tree planting on Niagara Parks property, Miller Waste Systems donated $10,000 to cover the cost of planting 150 new trees at Paradise Grove, representing a 5 to 1 replacement ratio. Replanting has been further enhanced through the support of the Chautauqua Oaks Project, a collaboration between Niagara-on-the-Lake residents and Niagara College, which has donated 65 additional Oak Trees.
Niagara Parks is planting a variety of native tree species, ranging in size, including oak, maple and sassafras, to ensure a diversity of tree species in the area. Based on soil analysis conducted as part of the project, a combination of factors over the past five years has led to the decline of the mature oak trees. Factors included, invasive species, drought, and a lack of soil nutrients. In addition to selecting species that are suitable to the soil conditions, Niagara Parks will be using compost produced by its Environmental Services team, to gradually add nutrients back into the soils around the newly planted trees.
A diverse forest canopy is resilient to future threats such as invasive species and a changing climate. Each year, Niagara Parks has a goal of planting 5,000 trees to achieve a 35% canopy cover by 2028. For more information about this tree-planting initiative and other important stewardship work, please visit niagaraparksfoundation.com.
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About the Niagara Parks Foundation
The Niagara Parks Foundation is a registered charity governed by a Board of Governors, established to support and advance the stewardship initiatives of Niagara Parks. The Niagara Parks Foundation provides a unique opportunity for members of the public and corporations to actively contribute to one of the world’s most beloved public spaces, while generating additional funds to support Niagara Parks’ important stewardship responsibilities through funding, research, and public education.
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