Lakeshore Eco network plans to plant up to 14K trees in Lambton Shores

Heather Wright/The Independent

The Lakeshore Eco Network wants to plant one tree for every person in Lambton Shores.

Armed with $145,000 in donations and the willing hands of the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority, Pat Morden is optimistic the trees will be swaying in the Lake Huron breezes soon.

The Lakeshore Eco Network began its work in 2014 after a tornado went through Grand Bend taking out many trees.

Morden says they wanted to replace what was lost. They used the slogan ‘Planting Trees to fight Climate Change.’ Those word still ring true today.

“Trees are also wonderful as the climate heats up. They reduce the temperature. They provide shade. They produce water. They reduce flooding, and so, it’s really in the con- text of climate that we do our work.”

Morden says several organizations including the Sunshine Community Foundation, Grand Bend Rotary and the municipality of Lambton Shores provided funding for up to 14,000 trees. The conservation authority will help with
acquiring the native trees and help plant them. All of the trees will be in public places. That’s not as easy as it sounds, Morden says.

“We have to work really closely with the municipality to kind of encourage them to find spots hat could benefit. And ultimately, what we’re finding is the more we talk about it, the more the more places they make available.”

The work started Saturday at the Lambton Heritage Museum. About 35 people planted 100 trees in a little over an hour, Morden says.

The Eco Network has two more tree planting events scheduled; one at Coultis Park in Forest Oct. 22 and the other in Relouw Park in Grand Bend Oct. 23. Morden is hopeful lots of volunteers will be there to help.

“It’s not just in order to get the work done that the volunteers are important…it’s from our perspective, to get the buy-in, to get people to thinking about trees,” says Morden.

“Many people find it really tremendously satisfying and meaningful to plant a tree. So the more people we can get who come out and plant a couple of trees for us, or …30 or 50 or of them, they’re going to be thinking trees.”

And that, she hopes, will lead more people to plant a tree for someone in Lambton Shores. “It’ll make them feel a sense of ownership towards those trees, like one of them is theirs.”