Town to give away 800 native trees April 18 to combat invasive species

The Town of Fort Erie will be handing out roughly 800 free native trees Saturday at the Leisureplex parking lot as the town pushes to rebuild canopy lost to invasive insect species.

The annual giveaway runs from 8 a.m. to noon at 3 Municipal Centre Drive. Residents can claim one tree per household on a first-come basis. The program has run several years and remains a direct response to heavy ash tree losses across Fort Erie.

The trees available this year are white spruce, redbud, sugar maple and tulip. Town staff selected species that residents have asked for in past years and that suit local yards.

Darren Kearns, a certified arborist with the town told Fort Erie Radio the goal is long-term growth across the community.

“We are trying to achieve overall expansion of the town’s tree canopy and to help replace the ash trees we have lost due to emerald ash borer,” Kearns said.

The emerald ash borer is an invasive insect that has killed millions of ash trees across Ontario. Dead and declining ash trees have harmed native ecosystems, as well as streetscapes, park edges and private lots in many municipalities, including Fort Erie.

Town arborists and volunteers with tree-care experience such as Ruth Markle, the final president of the Fort Erie Horticultural Society, will be on site to guide residents through species selection.

Each species grows differently. White spruce can serve as a windbreak. Sugar maple needs room to mature. Red bud suits smaller spaces. Tulip trees can grow tall and broad over time.

Kearns said this year’s event was scheduled earlier in the season, before the trees have leafed out, to assist with the transport and planting of the new trees.

“We love to see the excitement on the faces of residents receiving their tree and taking the time to pick the right tree for the right place,” he said.

New owners should plant their tree as soon as possible after pickup. Watering every seven days may be needed, depending on rainfall and temperature, according to town guidance.

The town is also asking residents to bring non-perishable food items for COPE during the pickup window Saturday morning.

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