Keeping Tillsonburg beautiful
Article content
Saturday was the 12th annual Keep Tillsonburg Beautiful Day, celebrated with tree planting at South Ridge Community Park and cleaning up local parks.
"These kids are here – part of the community – doing something great, paying it forward," said Tillsonburg Mayor Stephen Molnar, who assisted with the planting of approximately 600 trees in the community/school park next to South Ridge Public School. "They're going to watch these trees grow up, and their children and grandchildren will enjoy the benefit of this.
"Just watching the families together, that's the special part of it," said Molnar. "I think we commit to doing it every day, keeping Tillsonburg beautiful, but it's great to celebrate it."
The town event was coordinated by two committees – Heritage, Beautification and Cemeteries, and Parks and Rec Advisory, in partnership with Long Point Region Conservation Authority, with community sponsors like Tim Hortons.
Town staff the dug holes in advance, said Molnar, to help ease the pressure on kids and families.
"We also need to celebrate the men and women on the Town and Parks staff who do a great job for all of us. And community champions like Paul (DeCloet)..."
"Look at the nice crowd we've got again, it's just wonderful," said DeCloet, a long-time member of the Heritage, Beautification and Cemeteries committee. "I think we have more parents with their kids today, a lot of family units."
Brent Shepherd was planting trees with his three daughters – Paige, Avery and Julia.
"It's important for families to do it together," said Shepherd. "It is important that we do it, and that they do it, but it's even more important that we do it as a family.
"And," he added, nodding toward DeCloet, "there's interaction between multiple generations."
Claire McCormick, 14, has been participating with her family since the first Keep Tillsonburg Beautiful Day.
"As long as I can remember," said McCormick who brought her friend Sydney Smith Saturday morning. "It's good for the environment, it's good for the community. I've been doing it my whole life and I'm going to continue doing it."
Located at the north end of the South Ridge Community Park (behind the hill), DeCloet said it's an ideal site.
"This is a continuation of the farmland so this will make a very good tree site. This will make a beautiful forest."
Trees planted Saturday included tulip trees, red oak, bur oak, white pine, birch, white cedar, hickory, sycamore and black cherry.
"It's a nice variety of trees," said DeCloet. "Gives it good diversity."
"We want to make it as diverse as possible," nodded Paul Gagnon, LPRCA lands and water supervisor. "Fast growing, slow growing... we want to make a resilient forest. We know now the more diverse it is, the more durable it is."
In addition to families, the 1st Tillsonburg Guides were out in force Saturday with 11 members plus leaders, and a couple younger members from 4th Tillsonburg Brownies.
"It's about giving back to the community," said leader Cathy Wice. "We wanted to see what we could do and they love doing stuff like this. We didn't really do it for a badge, just community service. We do it every year with them."
"It's always nice when it's good weather," said leader Jessica Champeau.
"It was very wet last year..." noted Wice.
"That's all right, it was still fun," Champeau smiled.