ReForest London is “reforesting” the Glen Cairn Planning District by planting 1,000 trees in backyards, city boulevards, schools, businesses, places of worship, parks and other public areas. This neighbourhood has been chosen based on socioeconomic indicators, recreational space characteristics, tree cover and linkages on the landscape. Glen Cairn Planning District is bounded by Bradley Avenue to the South, Highbury Avenue to the East, the Port Stanley railroad tracks to the West and the South Branch of the Thames River to the North.

The primary partner in this project is the Glen Cairn Community Resource Centre. Additional partners include the Glen Cairn neighbourhood association, schools, neighbourhood service providers, neighbourhood businesses, places of worship, the City of London, and corporate sponsors.

This project is funded by Ontario Trillium Foundation and TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. Local business and corporate sponsorship are also sought. Significant in-kind contributions from the City of London have been made.

Project Goals

• To implement a model of strategic planning, community engagement and partnerships to reforest a neighbourhood that can be replicated throughout London.
• To improve the environmental health of the neighbourhood by increasing the tree canopy, thereby improving carbon sequestration, heating/cooling effects, shade cover, dust filtering, water management/filtering, etc.
• To illustrate how trees can transform a neighbourhood. Improve the aesthetic appeal of the neighbourhood, thereby improving property values and community pride.
• To introduce local youth to the importance of trees to the neighbourhood/environment and engage them to build their community connections by demonstrating the positive traits of youth, and providing them with an opportunity to gain job skills and remuneration in a work environment
• To strengthen the community by bringing together partners to work on a project that benefits the neighbourhood, the City, and the bioregion.

The strategic planting of trees, the partnerships and leveraging of funds in the Glen Cairn Area will be a model for regreening other neighbourhoods in London. Our plan is as follows:

Yard Trees

The majority of land in London is privately owned. Therefore, getting trees on private land is critical to greening the city. To encourage people to plant trees in their yards, we will offer low-cost trees to people in the neighbourhood.

Along with the trees, residents will receive a tree watering kits. These kits, developed in partnership between ReForest London and the City of London as part of a larger campaign to encourage tree care throughout the City of London, are a 20L tree watering bucket, containing detailed instructions on how to plant and care for their tree, along with specific information about their tree species.

In addition to these sales, in a neighbourhood within the Glen Cairn neighbourhood, bordered by Thompson Road, Adelaide Street S, Commissioners Road E, and Highbury Avenue S, we will offer to plant trees for residents, free of charge. The youth involved in the Youth Changing Communities program at the Glen Cairn Community Resource Centre will lead this effort. First, letters describing the program will be sent to the residents in this neighbourhood. Residents will call ReForest London if they would like a tree planted. ReForest London will train the youth on proper tree planting techniques. Then, over 2 Saturdays in the fall, this “youth tree brigade” will methodically cover the neighbourhood, planting trees at all the homes where they were requested. Adults with tree planting knowledge and experience will supervise the youth. Residents will receive a tree watering kits, care instructions and information about their tree.

Boulevard trees

The City of London has committed to planting at least 100 trees in the Glen Cairn neighbourhood in the fall of 2008 and spring of 2009. These will be planted on the city-owned boulevards. ReForest London will assist in this effort by identifying addresses where trees are needed, and writing a letter that the City will deliver to the residents, explaining that their yard is part of a larger ReForest London project in the Glen Cairn neighbourhood.

Schoolyards

Four schools in the neighbourhood, Glen Cairn PS, CC Carothers PS, Princess Elizabeth PS, and St. Sebastian Catholic School will receive five trees and fifteen shrubs each, for a total of 20 trees and 60 shrubs.

Where practical, we will recommend an “outdoor classroom” be planted. This project has been completed at two other schools with great success and high acclaim from both students and teacher. The outdoor classroom consists of five trees planted in a circle 12 metres in diameter. Three shrubs are planted around each tree for protection and aesthetics. A log or large stone is placed in front of each tree, and the area is mulched with a thick layer of wood chips. This provides the school with a place for teachers to hold class outdoors, as well as a creative space for children to play new games of their own invention. It is also a good place for older students to sit and chat during recess.

As with all our school yard projects, we will plant trees using an approach that has proven successful in protecting the life of the trees:

1) We plant larger, 50-60mm caliper shade trees.

2) We plant low cost shrubs around each tree, making a physical barrier and a “first line of defense” against normal school yard activities.

3) We involve the students – as many as possible – in the planting of the trees, and provide educational material and instruction in the value and care of the trees

4) Each school must agree to care for the trees, especially by watering them over the summer, for a minimum of three years.

Parks

ReForest London will plant trees at two Glen Cairn parks. At the Naiomi Almeida Park, we will partner with Union Gas, which has committed funds for trees, to plant trees in conjunction with the skate park installed this year.

At Thompson Road Park, we will complete a naturalization of a 30 metre riparian buffer. Here we will plant at least 400 native trees with the help of neighbourhood volunteers. This project site next to the Thames River allows us to increase the riparian buffer, improving wildlife habitat and water quality. This project supports the Thames Valley Corridor Master plan and recommendations by Environment Canada.