Brethour Park is like an "outstanding" new place after dozens of volunteers descended for a weekend party planting new trees and pulling unwanted growth on Saturday.
Tree Appreciation Day is part of Sidney’s ongoing work to increase the community’s tree canopy and create more shade cover in local parks. Past events have been held at Melville Park, Rathdown Park and Peter Grant Park.
“We had 50 people out representing nine different municipalities in the Capital Regional District,” said Coun. Steve Duck, who attended, as did Coun. Scott Garnett. “It’s substantially changed the appearance of that park and it looks outstanding.”
During the Sept. 21 event, volunteers planted 82 trees total – including Karpick maple, red oak, London plain, Pacific crabapple and red alder – to create a tree-lined walkway to the community newest playground and build on adjacent forest. The group also removed six cubic metres of invasive species.
The Greater Victoria Green Team, which leads regular events each weekend across the south Island, reported that 12 people planted trees for the first time and 13 people visited Brethour Park for the first time.
“It was an absolutely gorgeous day full of community fun and habitat restoration,” the group said in a report on the event. “People of all ages and backgrounds from all over the region came together to celebrate trees and have fun together as a community. Trees were even handed out to participants to take home to plant.”
“It was just fun. it was an enjoyable event,” said Duck, thanking the Greater Victoria Green Team for it’s organization and staff for preparation work that made the event easier on volunteers.
