New Forestry Technician spearheads tree planting initiative

August 24, 2021 – As Kawartha Conservation’s newly hired, and first, Forestry Technician, Taylor Frederick has a big responsibility to help local landowners support, grow and nurture their forestry cover; a challenge she said she is enthusiastic to tackle with the support of the 50 Million Tree Program. 

Led by Forests Ontario, the 50 Million Tree Program is a province-wide tree planting initiative with a goal of creating and maintaining healthier, greener, and more sustainable forest ecosystems across Ontario. As of 2020, more than 30 million trees have been planted through the program across Ontario with more than 16,500 hectares of new forest, well on the way to reaching their ultimate goal of 50 million trees. 

Working with Forests Ontario and landowners across the Kawartha Conservation watershed, Taylor has quickly begun helping to put the 50 Million Tree Program to work locally. 

We recently had the opportunity sit down with Taylor to talk about the 50 Million Tree Program, why she is passionate about the environment and the work she does, and how people can learn more and get involved in helping to support the environment locally. 

What is your role as a forestry technician? 

"A portion of my role here at Kawartha Conservation is identifying how we can continue to manage forests in a way that is economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable, as well as looking at opportunities to create new forested area." 

"Forestry technicians are the people out in the field, collecting data, doing the field work, and physically planting the trees. I would say my role focuses on managing and conserving existing forests, identifying ways to improve forest health, as well as encouraging, educating, and providing resources to landowners on how plant their property to increase forest cover in our area."   

As a forestry technician, how do you work with landowners to identify planting options for their property? 

"At the top level, we provide education and training to landowners about how their property could be used to create new forest cover and increase healthy forest habitats. In carrying out site visits, I meet with the landowners, see the potential planting sites, and determine which areas of their property are best for planting. I identify which species of trees are best to introduce to the property and recommend the different programs that Kawartha Conservation offers that are best suited to their land." 

One of those programs that you work closely with is the 50 Million Tree Program with Forests Ontario. What can you tell us about that program? 

"The 50 Million Tree Program is a tree planting initiative led by Forests Ontario and funded by the Government of Canada as well as various corporate sponsors and donors. The aim of the 50 Million Tree Program is to increase tree cover across Ontario, which is mostly done by repurposing land that hasn’t been forested, such as farm fields that aren’t being used anymore, or through landowners that just want to create more forest and forest habitats on their land." 

"Another goal of the 50 Million Tree Program is to help subsidize the cost of large-scale planting for both private landowners and municipalities, encouraging these kinds of projects and motivating landowners to participate in managing natural resources on their property."

How does Kawartha Conservation fit in with the 50 Million Tree Program?  

"My role within Kawartha Conservation is to spearhead the 50 Million Tree Program in implementing it within our watershed, so I go out and meet landowners to see if their property is eligible for the program. Based on the site visits, I create a planting plan, find suppliers for the trees, and locate contractors." 

"Kawartha Conservation is a newly founded public delivery agent (PDA). We act as the middleman between Forests Ontario, municipalities and landowners, working with each of them to help implement this program. For landowners, it can be a bit much to bridge the gap between the desire to plant more trees and the logistics of getting those trees in the ground. Our role is to provide the service of taking care of those logistics. We determine where and when the trees will be planted, how many trees and what species are required, identify available funding to subsidize the cost of the project, as well as deliver and plant those trees for the landowner."

What is your favourite part of working as a forestry technician with Kawartha Conservation? 

"My favourite part of working in this role with Kawartha Conservation is the opportunity to work with landowners."

"There’s something that I personally take so much joy in, in working with local landowners because not only are they normally very eager for education about their land and things they can do to improve it, but a lot of landowners in this area come with generational knowledge about their properties and their forests, which is something that’s really special." 

"I get to come in with my knowledge and experience to be able to help them, but many landowners are already very educated about their land and their forest, and by sharing their stories with me, I have the opportunity to learn valuable information that may not have been collected or written down previously. By being able to go out and talk with them, I am not just learning more professionally, but getting to know the people I am working with. I get my passion for what I do from the passion of the people in our community." 

"I think that people are a resource that are often underutilized."  

Why do you believe that this type of work is important? 

"I think not just forestry alone, but properly managing natural resources is important. Whether it’s through forest, watershed, or grasslands management, each aspect is related to one another in that they all contribute to a healthier and more sustainable environment. Initiatives like the 50 Million Tree Program are important to not only mitigate past damage that has been done to forest areas through development, storm damage, and climate change, but are also important for mitigating future problems, so as climate change gets worse, we can think about what we can do locally in our own community to help mitigate those changes that are to come." 

Where can people learn more or register for the 50 Million Tree Program? 

Those interested in learning more about the 50 Million Tree Program can read more about it and register on the Forests Ontario website at: https://forestsontario.ca/en/program/50-million-tree-program.

For any other questions about the 50 Million Tree Program, please contact Taylor Frederick at 705-328-2271 ext. 249 or by email at tfrederick@kawarthaconservation.com.