Inventory of County’s public trees begins

County staff have begun work on creating a public tree inventory – expected to be complete by the fall.

Inventory work is to begin in Picton, Bloomfield and Wellington. The municipality notes that as staff document the locations of trees in public spaces in support of improved management, they may stop for short periods of time in front of residents’ properties to enter the trees into a database.

The Tree Management and Protection policy has been under way since 2015 and was adopted in 2020. It is intended to a achieve a zero net loss of trees on County property.

Each year, many trees are lost to age, disease, weather conditions and other factors. The County also implemented an Adopt-A-Tree program to help citizens take park in tree stewardship with the goal of maintaining tree cover. Homeowners agree to maintain the trees for up to two years and provide updates on the health of the trees. Requests to participate are directed through Shire Hall.

This spring, the municipality gave away more than 950 seedlings in a tree giveaway with assistance from Quinte Conservation, Picton Rotary, the Horticultural Society, the Environmental Advisory Committee’s Natural Cover Group and the Prince Edward County Master Gardeners.

During 2021, the County supported the Tree the County community group in its effort to plant 13 trees at Delhi Park in Picton. Quinte Conservation also planted 30 Speckled Alders and many shrubs and plants at Delhi. The plantings were in effort to control invasive wild parsnip, and to naturalize the riparian area next to Marsh Creek. Species were selected for their suitability to difficult conditions, and their ability to out compete with the invasive species.

Seven more trees were planted at Delhi and at the fairgrounds in Picton and 10 were planted at the Jasper Avenue, Picton development.

The County’s website provides resources including recommended trees to plant, a ‘do not plant’ list (invasive or become infestive with invasive insects); along with more information on the municipal tree programs.