1,500 Native Trees Planted to Rehabilitate and Restore a Former Gravel Pit in Selwyn Township

1,500 native tree seedlings were planted this fall as part of the ongoing restoration of a gravel pit in Selwyn Township.

Photo courtesY of otonabee conservation

The trees were planted in partnership with Otonabee Conservation, NEFAB Canada, Selwyn Township, One Tree Planted, Caterpillar, and students from the Youth Leadership in Sustainability Program (YLS) from Kawartha Pine Ridge District school board (KPRDSB).

Students from the YLS program planted 300 trees, employees from NEFAB Canada Peterborough planted 900, with employees from Selwyn Township and Otonabee Conservation putting the remaining 300 in the ground.

“We are pleased to be working in partnership with Otonabee Conservation on this restoration project, and excited to plant 1,500 trees at the site this year,” said Mike Richardson, from Selwyn Township.

A variety of native species of tree seedlings were selected for the site including White Pine, Red Pine, White Cedar, and White Spruce, which will restore the site and enhance habitat for local wildlife.

"Environmental restoration and community engagement go hand-in-hand, and we're honored to support this initiative to not only plant trees but also have an educational opportunity for young people to learn about local ecology," said Diana Chaplin, Canopy Director at One Tree Planted.

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Otonabee Conservation Just Planted 1,500 Native Trees To Help Rehabilitate A Selwyn Township Gravel Pit

On Friday (November 6th), Otonabee Conservation planted 1,500 trees at a gravel pit in Selwyn Township in order to help rehabilitate the site and return it to its natural state.

Staff from Otonabee Conservation and Selwyn Township along with local Youth Leadership in Sustainability students planted white pine, white spruce, eastern white cedar, tamarack and red oak. These native species will provide habitat for wildlife, increase biodiversity at the gravel pit site, and will help to regenerate the soil that was previously removed during aggregate extraction.

“Each year, we partner with Selwyn Township to plant trees at various sites throughout the watershed,” says Dan Marinigh, Otonabee Conservation’s CAO.

“Projects like this contribute positively to the watershed community in many ways by mitigating climate change impacts, enhancing watershed health, and providing opportunities for students to get outside and engage directly with nature.” 

This is the final tree planting event of the season, wrapping up with a total of 5,690 trees planted across the watershed at eight different locations with support from many community partners including: City of Peterborough, Selwyn Township, Siemens Canada, Brock Mission, and Peterborough Regional Health Centre.

Generous funding is also provided by Tree Canada, Forests Ontario, TD Canada Trust, and One Tree Planted.

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