by Maria Schmid and the BRCA Tree Team
The trees around us are of many different types: some native, some transplanted, some mature, some growing, all with unique features yet having in common being rooted here, beautiful and helpful. Just like the trees they steward, the Trees subcommittee of the Beautification Committee at BRCA is also comprised of a variety of people. As our trees weather the changing environment, we weather changes in funding, initiatives, energy, and opportunities. With our City of Calgary partners, we have planted about 150 trees since 2022 and advocated for many trees to be saved from development pressures, though that remains an ongoing challenge.
You know it, but it bears repeating that trees are an intrinsic part of the quality of life in Calgary. They contribute to positive mental well-being and help us connect with our communities. They provide a myriad of environmental benefits: they restore ecosystems, capture CO2, and produce the oxygen we need for life, and they regulate the water cycle, including erosion control. Trees return nutrients to the soil and water, and they have a major role in cooling the hot urban environment. They increase biodiversity, protect wildlife, and provide us with fruits, nuts, wood, and mulch. In the words of Mark Cullen, expert gardener, author, broadcaster, and founding chair of Trees for Life and the Highway of Heroes tree campaigns, “Trees sustain life, and they protect life. They are air conditioners, water filters, air purifiers, carbon sinks, homes for wildlife and much, much more”.
We encourage the planting of trees in yards, where the biggest difference in increasing our tree canopy can be made. If you have space in your yard, the City provides a number of free trees every spring in their Branching Out program. See https://www.calgary.ca/parks-rec-programs/nature/branching-out.html for more information. Since this newsletter will be coming out after the NE Calgary application date, we will send info through the BRCA email list and website, but you can also apply in coming years.
Trees are our inspiration and our teachers in how each contributes in its own way to the beauty and diversity of our beloved neighbourhood. No matter what kind of tree you are like, know you make a difference, and we are stronger together!
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