In his recent newsletter Rick Craven wrote
Supporting our Environment
"Congratulations and thanks to IKEA and "Tree Canada" for their recent initiative in Kerns Park. Over 60 IKEA volunteers planted about 300 new trees in the park.:
This is admirable but I would also like to point out that just as important as the planting of seedlings is the saving of those trees that have already been planted and are now mature contributors to our clean air, healthy lifestyle, and overall well-being.
All too often we permit the cutting down of trees being oblivious to the fact that they are an integral part of our life and that to reach their level of maturity and ‘giving’ took a long time.
The necessity of planting new trees and the great work our volunteers are doing for the city should also be directed to protecting of our current 'assets' - for example, the 6,000 to 10,000 trees that will be clear cut by Forterra in the Fall of 2016 would take many people many months to plant and would take a lifetime to reach the level of giving that only an established and healthy tree can provide