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Volunteers didn’t let a grey and rainy day stop them from getting their hands dirty at a community greening and tree-planting event at River Ridge Park on Saturday.
Organized by the City of Charlottetown, the initiative aims to turn an open grass space into a forested area for wildlife.
“We plant dozens of different species just to create biodiversity, create different habitat for the wildlife here, and just make sure that it’s resilient for the future,” said Julia Brown, an urban forest technician assistant with the city.
Each type of tree, shrub and other plant selected, she said, is well-suited for the “environmental characteristics” of P.E.I.
According to city officials, about 250 trees were planted, and the city hopes to plant a total of 500 at the park by the end of the year.
Volunteer Rebecca Ramos said it is important to have green spaces for future generations. (Camryn Farquharson/CBC)
The project is also aimed at getting people involved and helping them make changes in their own backyards.
“We want to have trees and plants and green spaces for future generations to come — the future of Charlottetown,” said volunteer Rebecca Ramos, who also works with the P.E.I. Watershed Alliance.
Ramos lives in the neighbourhood where the planting took place.
“It’s really great to have green space and it provides privacy, flood resistance, and wind protection,” she said.
Saturday’s event also drew help from students at local schools.
“If you can get your youth engaged, whether it’s the junior high, the senior high, or elementary school level, it’s all a positive,” said Charlottetown Mayor Philip Brown.
The project is funded by Green Communities Canada.
Julia Brown said the hope is to add the park to the iNaturalist app, a database tool that helps users identify different plants and insects. This will allow the city to track how the ecosystem changes and grows over time.