Staff members from the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) are celebrating a milestone nearly forty years in the making.
The organization’s reforestation program that began in 1984 has officially planted more than seven million trees across the watershed.
A ceremony to mark the occasion was held in Richmond over the weekend, where a special “symbolic” tree was planted to represent the seven-millionth.
Sommer Casgrain-Robertson, the RVCA’s General Manager, says the milestone couldn’t have been met without support from every single municipality in the area.
“When we plant trees in Portland, residents downstream in Smiths Falls benefit. When we plant trees in Merrickville, residents downstream in Barrhaven benefit. We’re all downstream from somewhere,” she says. “We are thrilled to see the commitment from local landowners as they embrace these natural solutions on their properties, for the benefit of the entire watershed.”