Spring Tree Planting Season Ends and City Greening Celebrated

Mayor Drew Dilkens joined the City of Windsor’s Forester to plant the 1,400th tree this year and mark the end of the spring tree planting season in Windsor.

Over the course of 2024, the City will plant 2,500 large caliper trees during the spring and fall. Additional trees are also being planted by community partners, including the Essex Region Conservation Authority and the Scout Tree Group. 

Planting new trees replaces those lost due to age or weather-related damage. Mature tree cover helps to provide natural shade during hot summer days, absorb water from rainfall events, and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere – making Windsor a healthier, more environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing city.

The City of Windsor manages and maintains a modern digital inventory of around 87,000 trees between parks and streets, with an unknown number of more trees in forests and other natural areas. The most common tree species inventoried in Windsor include honey locust, Norway maple, and silver maple, with each comprising approximately 9 to 10% or 200 hectares or more of Windsor’s total tree canopy.

In 2020, an assessment of Windsor's urban forest canopy cover revealed that it removes over 195 metric tonnes of air pollution annually - valued at over $1.9 million, provides over $1.6 million in annual stormwater management benefits by absorbing over 75,000 litres of water per hectare per year, and stores nearly 250,000 tonnes of carbon (valued over $55 million) while sequestering over 6,700 more tonnes of carbon dioxide per year (valued over $1.5 million).

The City’s 2024 capital budget invests $23.5 million in parks, facilities, and recreation across the city; and the 2024 operating budget allocates $46.2 million towards parks, facilities, and recreation operations. Looking forward, the 10-year capital plan will invest more than $184.5 million in City parks, arenas, and recreation. 

For more information about the City of Windsor’s urban forest, visit the forestry pages of citywindsor.ca. 

Quotes:

“I remain proud of the ongoing work the City of Windsor has accomplished to protect and expand its tree population, invest in greenery, and develop its urban canopy. Building Windsor’s Future includes investments that create green spaces for residents to enjoy while contributing to the environmental benefits throughout the city.” – Mayor Drew Dilkens

“Our department is always excited about the opportunity to celebrate trees and progress in our canopy cover. We appreciate all the tree planting efforts of our community partners and the support of residents in ensuring Windsor continues to get greener.” - Yemi Adeyeye, City Forester, Manager, Forestry and Natural Areas