Past Plantings

For our last planting of the year, we wanted to make it a substantial one so we made the natural choice of the 350 – International Day of Climate Action held on Saturday, October 24th. Over 50 volunteers from the local neighbourhood, Whole Foods Green Team and dedicated Ground Breakers were greeted by Mayor Burton and joined by Councillor Mary Chapin as they planted towards our goal of 350 trees and shrubs. By the end of the few hours, Aspen Forest Park (Ford & Aspen Forest Dr.) was significantly improved with all of the new additions. Everyone worked extremely hard and should be proud of their effort. Although we still had about 50 plants left over, they were planted on a sunny December 2nd at Shell Park, further filling in our May planting area.

In total, 1500 trees and shrubs were planted by 440 volunteers in 2009!! Well done!

Over 40 students and their families from Rotherglen, Abbey Park H.S. and other area schools worked in record time to plant 75 trees and shrubs on Tuesday, October 6th at Brookstar Pond (Third Line & Upper Middle Rd.). It was great to see some real “veterans” from our previous plantings out and helping to teach some of the newer students….a good sign since our future lies with the youth.

On Sunday, September 27th, over 100 volunteers from Ground Breakers and Chartwell Baptist church congregants gathered at Donovan Bailey Park (near Bronte & Bridge Rd.) for this year’s largest planting. In total, 120 native trees and 280 shrubs were planted in various locations to help increase the woodlot and naturalize the embankments. It was a great day filled with community spirit and we’re glad to hear that the Baptist volunteers would like to plant again with us in 2010!!

For Ford Motor Company’s Global Week of Caring, Oakvillegreen was asked to partner with some of their staff for a local tree planting. So on Friday, September 11th, 20 Ford and Ground Breakers volunteers took to naturalizing the dog park at Kingsford Park (Ford & Kingsway) with 75 shrubs. Some shrubs and wildflowers were also added to the garden beds that Ground Breakers planted a couple of years ago at Kingsford.

Over 50 volunteers came out on a sunny but windy Sunday morning to Lawson Park for our last planting of the Spring. Planters learned how to properly plant a tree from Colin of Evergreen Canada, then enthusiastically took to the earth! Thanks to all of the volunteers from Shaarei Beth El Congregation, Dearcroft School, Charnwood Co-op School, members of the Chartwell Maple Grove Residents Assoc., the local Scouts and Beavers and other terrific neighbours. In conjuction with the Town of Oakville, 200 trees and shrubs were planted.

St. Marguerite D'Youville Catholic elementary school was buzzing with activity as teachers Nina Torok and Peter Bertrand led over 50 students and volunteers from the school's 'Green Team' in a planting bonanza! In conjunction with Oakvillegreen's Ground Breakers, and with the enthusiastic participation of Councillor Tom Adam, the group of Grade 6, 7 and 8 students planted 50 native trees and shrubs along their eastern fence line within 2 hours. The Grade 3 students also helped to beautify the school grounds by planting the front gardens with dozens of colourful annuals.

On Saturday, May 23rd, Oakvillegreen's Ground Breakers team, planted 75 trees and shrubs in Postridge Park. Ward 6 Councillor, Tom Adams, participated in the planting along with a team from Home Depot (Cross Ave.), NEORA, Abbey Park H.S. Eco Club and other Ground Breaker volunteers. Congrats on a job well done in record time!

With cloudy skies and the threat of rain, over 30 volunteers came out to plant 75 trees & shrubs at the White Dove stormwater pond near Third Line & Upper Middle. Many thanks to all who participated but in particular the students from Rotherglen and King's College.

Over 35 volunteers, including children, came out to our first planting of 2009 at Shell Park. We planted over 120 native trees and shrubs, many of them berry producing for the migrating and local birds, all along the creek area. Planters were joined by Ward 1 Councillors Ralph Robinson and Alan Johnston.

The first planting of Fall 2008 occurred in Iroquois Ridge at the storm water management pond along Pondview Place.

35 volunteers including Girl Guides, Environmental Club students and local residents went to work planting 240 native trees and shrubs along the flood plain next to the pond. All worked hard to get through the red clay!

Saturday, October 4, 2008 - West Oak Trails

The second planting of Fall 2008, held along Proudfoot Trail at West Oak Trails, was a great success. 45 local residents, Girl Guides and students from Abbey Park HS, Iroquois Ridge HS and Sheridan College came out to put over 200 native trees and shrubs in the ground.

Returning to Pondview Place, The final planting of 2008 was met with an army of high school student volunteers! Over 60 local residents, including students from Abbey Park HS, Iroquois Ridge HS and Appleby Collage attended to plant over 200 native trees and shrubs in record time. Special thanks to the schools' Environment Clubs and Teacher volunteers.

In honour of Earth Day on April 22 2008, 200 students and staff from Appleby College, along with the Town of Oakville and Evergreen Canada planted and mulched 2000 native trees and shrubs in the hedgerows of Kingsford Gardens in Clearview.

Our first publicly held planting of 2008 took place at Joshua Valley Park at the end of Cedarberry Court. Local residents, teens, students from E.J James Public School and Councillor Mary Chapin came out to help plant 200 native trees and shrubs.

The largest planting of the spring was held on May 10th at Donovan Bailey Park. Over 100 people were out including local residents, Ward 1 Councillor Alan Johnson, school groups, cub scouts, Burlington Vespa Club, teens requiring volunteer hours and even a couple from Alberta were among those breaking ground on that sunny day! The group successfully planted 400 native trees and shrubs in 9 gardens in the park with the help and support from our partners Evergreen Canada and the Town of Oakville.

Ground Breakers, Oakvillegreen and Rotherglen School grade 8 students attended the Mayor's Arbour Day celebratory planting. Rotherglen students, with the help of the Town's forestry staff, planted young Oaks in Iroquois Shoreline Woods Park.

PLANTING SPRING 2007

Saturday, April 28 at Kingsford Gardens in Clearview. About 65 people turned out for this planting of 200 trees and shrubs including a few large stature trees. The neighbours were very pleased.

Mayor's Special Tree Planting, Tuesday, April 26 - About 20 people turned out on a beautiful sunny spring day to celebrate the Town's 150th anniversary by helping the Mayor plant 150 oak trees and Iroquois Shore Woods.

Sunday, May 6 at Oxford Park. We thought this Sunday would be pretty quiet but about 45 people turned out to help plant 150 trees and shrubs. They were done so quickly some people complained that they only got to plant 2 or 3 trees.

Tuesday, May 8. Thank you to the students at Abbey Park High School who planted about 200 trees and shrubs behind Abbey Lane Public School. Students at the school also raised over $300 for Ground Breakers.

Saturday, May 26 at Donovan Bailey Park. People in Oakville love trees and love plantings trees. About 100 people helped plant 400 trees and shrubs. Thank to the Rotary Club of Oakville Trafalgar for donating to pay for 70 trees and for coming out to help plant.

DONOVAN BAILEY PARK

With the help of Field & Stream Rescue from Hamilton, more than 400 trees and bushes were planted in Donovan Bailey Park in mid October 2006. About 95 people came out to help including students from Appleby, Sparks, neighbours, members of other local green groups, politicians like Councillors Chris Stoate, Cathy Duddeck and Mike Lansdown and a number of high school students. Thank you to Dan Fulcher of Fulcher Marketing Inc. who donated 14 sweatshirts to some of Ground Breakers most avid volunteers. Thank you!

KING'S WAY - SOUTHEAST OAKVILLE

Close to 60 people came out to plant about 200 understorey plants in this hidden gem of a park that was saved from developers by local residents who then gave it to the Town in return for tax credit. A group of Scouts and several high school student also helped out. Everyone really enjoyed working on this site and the local residents were great - one even brought an urn of coffee out for the planters. Working with these kind of community groups is such a pleasure! Thanks to Evergreen Canada and Town Staff who were a terrific support as always.

ARBOUR LANE CONDOMINIUM - Glen Abbey

An additional 90 bushes were planted on the south end of Wildwood Park in an evening planting on thursday, September 7 by the residents of Arbout Lane Condominiums and Ground Breakers with help from Town of Oakville staff. The planting went very quickly and the neighbours held a little celebration afterwards.

After tilling of planting sites and soil remediation, during an evening planting on June 15, Ground Breakers returned to the Lighthouse Emergency Shelter and finished putting in the flower beds and a vegetable garden. Shelter residents, staff and some members of the Salvation Army also helped out. Many thanks to Home Depot who built two raised vegetable beds for us and donated many items to help with graden maintenance including a wheelbarrow, garden hose and other items. One more planting this fall to replace any plants that have not done well and our work at this site will be complete.

EMERGENCY SHELTER ROUND #2

The soil was like cement and the weather was rainy but hardy Ground Breaker volunteers perservered and managed to plant flower beds at Halton's New Emergency shelter On Saturday, June 3 2006.

Town staff, especially Howie Kumagai, left, have been wonderful partners in the community plantings.

SHELDON CREEK

Cubs from 19th Oakville A Pack joined Ground Breaker volunteers on Saturday, May 6 2006 to plant 150 trees at Sheldon Creek Park on the lakeshore. Our 35 volunteers enjoyed the perfect, easy to dig soil and the perfect weather!

BRONTE BLUFFS

Our first planting of 2006 was a big success with members of the Bronte Historical Society and the Bronte Horticultural Society lending a hand at the lakeside park next to the Historic Sovereign House. Altogether 55 volunteers managed to get about 260 trees in the ground, watered and mulched in about 1.5 hours. Thanks to Town staff who helped get the plants distributed and watered.

Councillor Cathy Duddeck and other volunteers plant trees at the Emergency shelter despite rain.

EMERGENCY SHELTER PLANTING

On Saturday, October 22 2005, more than 50 people helped install an entirely native landscape at Halton's new Emergency Shelter located in south Oakville. Four Rangers, members of the Muslim Residents' Association, staff from King's Christian Collegiate, shelter residents and staff, Ground Breakers members, Salvation Army folks, Evergreen volunteers, Councilor Cathy Duddeck and Town residents' all willingly worked together in the rain and the mud to transform the Shelter grounds into what will become a showcase of landscaping with native plants. Many thanks to everyone who worked so hard. In the spring, plantings of flower gardens are planned at the site. We hope to see you there.

200 MORE TREES FOR TANGLEWOOD

The ponds in new development of Tanglewood in northwest Oakville had 200 more trees planted around them by a hard working crew of local residents, Ground Breaker members, folks from Palermo United Church, staff from Orchard Ridge Homes and councilor Allan Elgar. The planting took place on Saturday, October 16. The developer has sponsored several plantings at the site and if a residents group can be established there is likely to be a few more. With two ponds spanned by a bridge and surrounded by native trees and bushes, the Tanglewood site promises to have the most beautiful neighbourhood pond in the Town.

100 MORE BERRY BUSHES

Th birds in River Oaks will be happy as 100 more berry-producing bushes were added to our berry patch on Sixth Line near Glenashton. Volunteers from the Halton Carribean Association joined with Ground Breakers to make this planting a success. Rain, just before the planting which took place on Saturday, October 8, made the ground perfect for the new plants. Special thanks to Robert Patrick who completed the mulching of the berry patch.

WILDFLOWER BED ENHANCEMENT

Ground Breakers volunteers added another 200 wildflowers to the three gardens on Sixth Line. Working to beat the setting sun on a late September evening, the crew managed to get all the plants in the ground within an hour and a half. Great work! And thanks especially to the new folks who joined us that evening: Luke, Bozidar and James.

BERRY BUSH CUB PLANTING

On May 31st, two Trafalgar Cub troops helped Ground Breakers plant 50 berry bushes at our original site on Sixth Line south of Glenashton. So far, rabbits nibbled down two, two were destroyed when someone illegally dumped sod down the side of the ravine and one was accidently mowed by Town crews but the rest are thriving. I have been over to water them a few times since we have had an especially dry late spring/early summer. In the fall we will do any replanting or enhancing we think necessary to the berry patch. Additional flowers will also be added to the wildflower beds in the fall.

Residents of Forest Ridge in Glen Abbey and Ground Breakers volunteers replant Wildwoods.

WILDWOODS PARK

In May, Ground Breakers joined with the Forest Ridge Residents' Association to replant Wildwoods Park located just east of Dorval and just north of North Service Road. This area was once one of Oakville's officially designated Environmentally Sensitive Areas but, like four out of the original 7 ESAs, development was allowed on a portion of it. The development took a toll on many large trees adjacent to the development. Also, a contractor who was taking out dead trees recently damaged, and had to remove, several more. Together, we planted more than 100 native trees from about a dozen different species. It was a great day and the Forest Ridge residents were so pleased with our help that they've offered to come help us with our fall plantings. Later, Donna Sheppard from South Peel Naturalists planted 40 Trilliums in Wildwoods that had been rescued from an about to be developed property.