Thank you to Richard W. Grover, Chair of the Village of Canton Tree Committee, for sending in photos and details about the Village’s fall 2022 planting event.
We planted a grove of five native trees on Saturday, November 5, 2022 in Canton Island Park, which is located on Willow Island in the Grasse River, at the western edge of downtown Canton (see drawing). The grove was planted as a community event, with invitations sent to 35 local citizens a week to ten days before the event.
A sketch of the newly planted tree locations on Willow Island in Canton.
The weather was sunny and seasonably comfortable, and was enhanced by the honking of hundreds of Canada geese that had assembled in the river in anticipation of their fall migration. Our “Tree City USA: 10 Years!” banner flapped in the breeze between two silver maple trees on the riverbank. It was a perfect day for a tree planting event.
Approximately 20 local residents of various ages participated in the tree planting event. The assembled group included several local elected officials, Tree Committee members, and representatives of the Village DPW, the NYSDEC Division of Lands & Forests, and local news media.
The five trees planted were one each of the following native species: red maple (Acer rubrum), yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis), shagbark hickory (Carya ovata), swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor), and American basswood (Tilia americana). All trees were bare root and were watered, mulched, staked, and protected from beaver damage with wire fencing. 🌳