Forests Ontario rolls out Take Root program in Guelph to help enhance livable, green communities

Barrie, Ont. (April 11, 2023) – Forests Ontario is partnering with the City of Guelph and Trees for Guelph to roll out Take Root, a program providing residents of the city with access to no-cost, native trees for their homes and neighbourhoods, making tree planting accessible for all. Residents of the City of Guelph can visit the new Take Root website at https://treestakeroot.ca/guelph.

"Our Trees for Guelph team will be utilizing our 33 years of tree planting and environmental education expertise to implement this Take Root residential planting program in Guelph,” Martin Litchfield, Vice-President, Trees for Guelph, says. “We are excited to work with the City of Guelph and Forests Ontario and be the hands-on, local delivery component of this wonderful program."

Forests Ontario’s Take Root program is a community-powered initiative that educates residents on the importance of a healthy urban tree canopy, how to choose the best tree for their property, and proper tree planting and care techniques. As part of the municipality’s One Canopy Strategy, the City of Guelph plans to distribute 1,000 trees in 2023.

“We think the Take Root program is a very tangible way to promote and provide livable, green communities in and around Guelph,” Gene Matthews, General Manager, Parks, City of Guelph, says. “We need to plant more trees in Guelph, and Take Root is a way to engage our community and make that happen.”

While many municipalities recognize the need to increase their urban forest cover, there are often limited planting opportunities on city-owned lands due to competing priorities such as sports and recreation. The Take Root program provides the opportunity to engage residents, homeowners, neighbourhoods and community groups to plant on their properties and contribute towards enhancing urban canopy cover.

“Giving residents access to the right tree, for the right place, and at the right price, is only the start,” Rob Keen, Registered Professional Forester and CEO of Forests Ontario, says. “By working with our partners to share our knowledge about planting and caring for trees with the community, the Take Root program can help create a healthy, thriving network of interconnected, urban green spaces.”

The Take Root program was designed to help municipalities like the City of Guelph:

• Engage local communities and provide them with the resources needed to properly plant and care for their urban forest cover.
• Empower local communities to act by providing training and knowledge in becoming stewards of the urban forest for the long-term.
• Enable local communities to participate in urban planting events and contribute to increasing a healthy urban forest cover in their neighbourhoods.
• Provide an equitable program where everyone has an opportunity to a low- or no-cost native tree or shrub.
• Enhance environmental co-benefits through activities that will help create healthy, resilient forests as well as improve the physical and mental well-being of residents and their communities.

Residents of the City of Guelph who are interested in learning more about the Take Root program can visit https://treestakeroot.ca/guelph or e-mail Forests Ontario Program Coordinator Amy Howitt at ahowitt@forestsontario.ca.

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For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

Matthew Brown
Communications Manager
Forests Ontario / Forest Recovery Canada
Cell: 519-471-4751
E-mail: MBrown@forestsontario.ca

About Forests Ontario & Forest Recovery Canada

Forests Ontario is the province’s leading charity dedicated to the creation, preservation, and maintenance of forest and grassland habitats. Our ambitious, large-scale tree planting initiatives, extensive educational programs, and decades of community outreach result in millions of trees being planted each year.

Together with our national division, Forest Recovery Canada, we work with our many partners across the country to plant native trees and ensure our efforts today thrive and grow into tomorrow’s diverse, healthy, and resilient forests.

Forests Ontario is the voice for our forests.

Visit www.forestsontario.ca or follow us @Forests_Ontario to find out more.