The City of Sarnia has planted 250 trees and shrubs this spring.
Manager of Parks, Forestry, and Horticulture Patti Ross said the first round of tree planting took place in April and the second round was completed during the first week of May.
She said the process typically takes three to four weeks, depending on weather conditions and the number of trees to be planted.
"Most of the current [trees planted] are replacement trees on the boulevards from trees we took out due to storms," she said. "Then we did a couple of extra little projects, like we added some to Veterans Park … But there are no big projects this spring."
Tree planting is done twice a year so Ross said more will be planted in the fall.
"As part of the Climate Change Action Plan integration, we are wanting to improve our tree canopy so planting trees is a big piece of that," she said. "We try to plant something we take down and do extra trees on top of that."
Aside from the environmental benefits, maintaining or increasing the city's tree coverage helps provide shade, can act as a noise buffer and creates wildlife habitats.
The city's community service division has hired a local student to water the trees. They will officially start on May 9.
Residents are also encouraged to water new trees placed on their boulevard, especially during periods of drought.
For optimal growth, water should trickle at a slower rate for a longer period of time in order to reach the roots and avoid water runoff. Watering young trees for about 30 minutes with a hose is recommended.
Meantime, 125 native trees will be planted on May 18 in partnership between Forest Ontario, The St Clair Conservation Authority, and Imperial Oil, in cooperation with the City of Sarnia.
The Community Tree Planting initiative will take place along Berger Road, which connects the Howard Watson trail to the Suncor Nature Way.
-With files from Josh Boyce
