All Hands In The Dirt At Fairy Lake
Tree plantings are fun no matter where they take place, but I really enjoy participating in them when they affect a lake I regularly fish. There is no lake I have spent more time on in the past five years than Fairy Lake in Acton, so being able to help protect the lake is of great importance to me. This past Saturday, Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) once again hosted the Fairy Lake Father’s Day Weekend Tree Planting, with the goal of getting 80 native trees and shrubs in the ground, while giving the community a chance to get involved.
An overcast start to the day at Fairy Lake.
Credit Valley Conservation.
What began as a cold, overcast morning, quickly turned into ideal planting weather as the sun came out and a gentle breeze kept volunteers from overheating. As a Volunteer Leader for CVC, I helped to place out the trees, setup displays, chase people down to fill in the registration form, and help with planting. Placing the trees to be planted was a good chance to look over the plantings from previous years. Many of them are growing well and provide the encouragement to keep going.
Planting trees and shrubs in the riparian areas of lakes provides many benefits:
- Prevent erosion;
- Provide shade;
- Improve water quality by intercepting and filtering water before it gets to the lake; and
- Provide habitat and food for wildlife.
Unlike some locations, the ground at Fairy Lake provides for easy digging, allowing for trees to be planted quickly, and keeping volunteers happy.
Hard working tree planters.
The sun eventually came out and made for a nice day.
My favorite tree planters – Darrell and his dad stopped by to get their hands dirty.
The turnout for this year’s event was much better than last year, and the volunteers made short work of the 80 plants. I was amazed at how quickly the trees went in the ground. After the planting was finished there were plenty of other activities to take part in. CVC had a display of furs and skulls, as well as informational booklets and brochures about native wildflowers, invasive species, and activities within the watershed. P.O.W.E.R. was a partner in this event and they had stations for making pine cone bird feeders and seed-bombs (round balls of clay, compost, and seeds that you can toss somewhere you want a few more native plants to grow). They also provided cake and drinks, and the ladies were a delight to work with.
The CVC display. The pylons were necessary to combat the wind.
Furs and skulls.
P.O.W.E.R.’s pine cone bird feeder station
Mmmm…cake!
Fairy Lake continued to get a little more protection, and all volunteers were able to have a fun and rewarding morning. Volunteering always leaves me in a good mood, and tree plantings are an excellent way to get outside and give back. CVC is an excellent organization to get involved with as they provide lots of volunteer opportunities, and they have some truly incredible staff members that are amazing to work with. Don’t miss your chance, get involved.
argosgirl
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