On October 17 at Folkstone Park and October 24 at Knightsbridge Kings Cross apartments, local residents in Bramalea will be supported in tree planting for climate change research.
“These locations sit in low tree canopy areas, where many residents are really hurting as a result of the COVID pandemic,” says Alice Casselman, founder of the Association for Canadian Educational Resources (ACER).
A total of five community tree planting events have been funded throughout Bramalea Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Program (SNAP) area in a collaboration with ACER funded by Arbor Day Foundation under the TD Green Space program.
Launched in September 2019, Project Crossroads supports urban reforestation in Brampton’s E, F, and K sections. ACER collaborated with Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) and City of Brampton Parks and Forestry to test three new planting models.
The inaugural planting was held last week at Chelsea Gardens.
“Our Knightsbridge residents were exuberant, their spirits were really lifted,” says Alice. The planting day held October 7 fell during Mental Illness Awareness Week, October 4-10, and ahead of Thanksgiving Weekend.
Ahead of Halloween, ACER will treat more residents to the Project Crossroads experience, with an extra two plantings in the last week of October. Please check for weather and COVID updates at www.acer-acre.ca.
With community agencies, faith groups and public schools not yet fully reopened, the challenge to connect with residents is met via printed notices and a digital invitation: http://bit.ly/ACER-invites-Knightsbridge-residents. The invite includes ACER’s map of schools located within Bramalea SNAP.
For schools not eligible for Project Crossroads, ACER has developed the Shovel, Mulch, and MOR outdoor education unit. The digital kit “Measures Our Resources” in Outdoor/Online/Remote activities for which ACER supplies mulch.
“We will help residents and students to prepare school yard trees for winter, and train them to collect data that assists in climate change research, and calculates carbon capture,” says Program Manager, Nimesha Basnayaka.
Demonstration videos will soon be available online following the October 17 demonstration planting.
Since 1987, ACER has developed outdoor, online and remote volunteer opportunities to promote outdoor education that connects curriculum to the environment. ACER’s signature Planting for Change native species tree suites for climate change research has been established more than 60 school yard sites across the Greater Toronto Area. It is recognized under the City of Mississauga One Million Tree initiative.
For further information about ACER, contact Alice Casselman at alice.casselman@acer-acre.ca.
