By Staff
May 1st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Scouts from the Halton Region worked on Arbour Day planting trees at the Regional Waste Management site.
Halton Region partnered with Conservation Halton and Scouts Canada for the 17th Annual Scout Tree Planting Event. To celebrate both Earth Day and Arbor Day, approximately 150 scouts planted 400 mixed-species trees.
From left to right: Co-Founder of the Birdhouse Foundation, Tim Withers; Conservation Halton Vice-Chair and Regional Councillor, Cathy Duddeck; Halton Beaver, Jack Kowalchyk; Halton Regional Chair, Gary Carr; Co-Founder of the Birdhouse Foundation, Connor Withers; Regional Councillor, Mike Cluett; Conservation Halton CAO, Hassaan Basit and Scouts Canada Special Event Coordinator, Bob Collison.
“Halton Region is preserving and protecting the natural environment for all residents to enjoy,” said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. “I am proud of the joint efforts of our local partners—Conservation Halton and Scouts Canada—who help contribute to the sustainability of our community.”
Chair Carr delivered remarks before presenting a commemorative birdhouse—built by the Birdhouse Foundation with reclaimed material from the HWMS—to recognize the effort of the volunteers. The birdhouse is permanently mounted in the planting area.
Conservation Halton CAO, Hassaan Basit, also took part in a brief opening ceremony at the event. Scout’s Canada Special Event Coordinator, Bob Collison, was also in attendance to join the scouts, many of their leaders and family members as they planted trees.
“Conservation Halton has planted more than four million trees since 1956 working in collaboration with wonderful community partners like Halton Region and Scouts Canada at events such as this one,” said Hassaan Basit, Conservation Halton CAO. “We thank all the Scouts and their families for coming out today to plant trees to help create a healthy and thriving ecosystem.”
Over the last 16 years, Halton-area scouts have planted more than 5,000 native, mixed-species trees. This initiative has contributed to the Region’s ongoing tree planting and maintenance program at the Halton Waste Management Site, closed regional landfills and commitment to environmental sustainability.
