Surrey’s National Tree Day event returns benefiting the city
Participants will plant native trees and shrubs at Bear Creek Park
The City of Surrey is hosting its annual National Tree Day event on Sept. 23 at Bear Creek Park to appreciate trees, their benefits, and bring the community together in nature. (Sumbitted)
The City of Surrey will host a National Tree Day event this Saturday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at Bear Creek Park to plant 500 native trees and shrubs.
Participants will plant four species of trees, which include bigleaf maple, three types of evergreens, and six species of shrubs.
“[The planting is] basically to mimic the assemblage of trees and shrubs that would be found naturally in our forests, so it’s more shrubs than trees overall,” says Colleen Gillespie, City of Surrey urban forest stewardship coordinator.
Gillespie says the city has been hosting the event ever since Tree Canada, a non-profit organization for planting and nurturing trees, successfully pushed Parliament in 2011 to recognize National Tree Day as a day for appreciating trees and their benefits.
Besides improving air and water quality, contributing to biodiversity, and beautifying the city, she says tree plantings give participants the opportunity to do something positive and active together.
“I think the impact [in] the community of being able to contribute, it really does help build that sense of belonging and community,” Gillespie says.
“It helps to get people familiar with their local parks and maybe notice the forest there for the first time. It’s something that often we take for granted that it’s there.”
Participants don’t need any prior tree planting experience and should be dressed appropriately for the weather as the event is rain or shine.
Gillespie says staff will also provide participants with a safety briefing, equipment, and a demonstration on how to plant trees.
“People can plant for as long or as little as they like. They can come and just do one tree and then just have fun at the event, or they can really dig in and work hard for a while.”
While this year’s tree planting is at Bear Creek Park, the city hosts the event at a different park each year, based on its accessibility to the public, so there will be trees planted throughout Surrey.
“It’s a pretty significant forest right in the middle of the city with a salmon-bearing stream, Bear Creek, that runs right through the park. So ecologically, it’s quite important to wildlife [habitats] and biodiversity within the city.”
Gillespie also says high school volunteers with the Surrey Youth Stewardship Squad and post-secondary students in the Surrey’s Natural Areas Partnership (SNAP) employment program have been working at Bear Creek Park over the past several months to remove invasive species and make space for planting native trees and shrubs.
Gillespie expects a “big crowd” at the planting because of the park’s popularity. In the past, she says usually more than 100 people would attend, but the numbers vary depending on the weather and the event’s location.
The event will also feature music and free lunches for participants while supplies last.
National Tree Day acts as the “celebratory kickoff” for the fall season of the city’s releaf tree planting program, which offers planting events each Saturday throughout October at different parks.
“Everyone [is] welcome,” Gillespie says. “People can come every week or just once. The more, the merrier.”
For more information on Releaf’s upcoming tree planting events, visit the City of Surrey’s website.
