Birth Forest ready to plant for another year
Shannon LeClair
Times Reporter
This year marks the sixth year that trees will be planted in the name of babies born in the area.
The Birth Forest first began due to a partnership between Communities in Bloom (CIB), the Town of Strathmore, Eagle Lake Nurseries and Chinook Credit Union. It is part of the Tree Canada program that encourages urban forestry.
This year the trees will be planted on May 31, and can be found at Parklane Park.
“We’re planting 45 trees this year, so for people who didn’t register there will be extra trees,” said Melody Wilson, chair of Communities in Bloom.
With approximately 50 trees having been planted each year in the Birth Forest, Wilson suspects that next year’s planting will be the last one in that location, and then CIB will begin looking for a new spot.
The project is completely free thanks to the abovementioned partnership, and Wilson said even though they enjoy having families out and planting their tree, if they can’t make it the tree will still be planted for them, and they will receive a certificate.
Parents wishing to register children born in 2013 are quickly running out of time. Births in 2014, however, are already being registered. Contact Melody Wilson at melody@peapatch.ca for more information.