This past October, Water First collaborated with Matachewan First Nation to deliver a series of educational workshops at the local school and a tree-planting field trip in the community.
Students in the Indigenous program at Kirkland Lake District Composite school joined those from the First Nation to plant pine and cedar seedlings in a community garden, as well as a cedar hedge on the shore of Turtle Lake to reduce erosion into the water. Before the kids began their tree-planting, an Elder performed a smudging ceremony and gave a short teaching about the history of the area’s local plants and vegetation.
Tree roots help stop erosion
Waterside tree planting is important both to the local waterways and the people who live adjacent to them. Tree roots hold onto soil, preventing unnatural amounts of sand and dirt from entering the water systems, which can have a negative impact downstream and damage aquatic ecosystems. Trees provide organic material and habitats for animals, and their shade acts as a temperature monitor for aquatic wildlife.
Trees and other natural vegetation create a buffer between land use and natural habitats. They also benefit us by reducing the impact of flooding, a trend which is becoming more commonplace due to the pressures of climate change.
