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Students Helping CAMI Plant New Forest

Thursday, 25 April 2013 at 10:55

Student volunteers are helping CAMI build a new forest that will link two existing natural areas. Several Woodstock area children put shovel to ground today to help CAMI accomplish a five year goal along their property on Thomas Street. Senior Environmental Engineer at CAMI, Brenda Beaudoin says during the expansion of the plant, a small wood lot was removed and the reforestation was important to meet General Motor's sustainability and partnership goals. "We had taken out about five acres of woodlot and different kinds of trees so we are replacing that with about 16 acres of trees. It's in a good area because it connects up with the five points wetland that is out the north west corner of the property and it will provide a wildlife corridor." Community Partnership Specialist with Upper Thames, Brad Hertner says the conservation authority was able to walk in the neighbouring woodland to determine the best native trees and shrubs to plant. "Pine, dogwood, Kentucky coffee tree, poplar, elderberry, cranberry, a real mix of tall canopy trees and wildlife shrubs that will provide food sources for locals mammals and birds." Hertner says with student planting, the Conservation Authority has an average 85 percent survival rate. He says they really love having school children out to plant trees. "We feel that if they are engaged and find value, boots on the ground, in their local, natural areas it builds a conservation ethic and it will lead them to more environmental choices as they get older." Hertner commended CAMI for using students saying it is more expensive to use student labour citing the use of larger trees and mulching by hand as a couple of reasons for the extra costs.

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