It’s 9 a.m. on a chilly fall Saturday in the Town of Mono, and more than 50 volunteers gather around to plant trees at a TD Tree Days event along Mono Centre Creek.
After a quick introduction and orientation led by Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA) staff, the volunteers grabbed their shovels and began to plant trees.
They worked in teams of two or three: One person dug a hole while another took a tree out of its pot and put it into the new opening. Together, they filled the gap with soil and tamped it down with their feet. Finally, they put a brush mat around the tree to reduce competition from grasses and other vegetation. The teams worked diligently and enthusiastically side by side with other groups until all 400 trees were planted.
Volunteers are an integral part of a lot of NVCA’s work. In 2023 alone, more than 1,470 volunteers contributed more than 6,000 hours of their time helping to plant native trees and shrubs and install old Christmas trees in river banks to reduce erosion and to change the shape and flow of rivers and streams.
They also supported community events by donating their time to help run festivals and interact with guests. Some volunteers contributed by using their skills and passions and provided the NVCA with beautiful photos that are used to promote events and conservation areas.
Camp Tiffin’s Junior Leadership Program helps develop the skills required for our youngest volunteers while also providing high school volunteer hours. Program participants often attended Camp Tiffin when they were younger, and they were eager to come back and help the camp counsellors. Tiffin maple syrup is also made by a dedicated group of volunteers each spring, and some of them have been helping to produce this delicious syrup for more than 20 years.
Tom Hodgson has volunteered with the NVCA and its partner, the South Simcoe Streams Network, for more than 20 years. He says he enjoys the camaraderie of volunteer work. Seeing familiar, friendly faces provides a true sense of community. Like many others, he wants to create a better future for his children and grandchildren.
“It is important for me to help restore the landscape to how it was before it was impacted by humans,” he said. “The trees that volunteers planted will provide shade and help reduce temperatures in our cold-water streams and rivers and create habitat for fish and aquatic animals. Newly planted native grasslands are important habitat for species-at-risk birds and can help fight climate change.”
The NVCA’s volunteer events bring like-minded people from different communities and backgrounds together to work toward a common goal, and are a great way to network and make friends. Some volunteer opportunities offer a tangible way to take direct action against climate change. Other times, it’s to learn more about the ecosystems in the watershed, or to feel the satisfaction of seeing the smiles on children’s faces as they plant their first tree or taste freshly made pancakes with maple syrup.
Funding for the NVCA’s tree planting and river restoration is bolstered by the in-kind contributions that are made by volunteers. Projects that demonstrate community engagement and support are more likely to be supported by funders, making volunteering doubly beneficial. NVCA staff start with seed funding provided by municipal partners and will turn each dollar into $5 that goes toward projects and staff costs.
As the volunteer season winds down for 2024, the NVCA would like to thank the individuals, schools, corporations, families, and landowners who came out to help. Their efforts will have a long-lasting and positive effect on our watershed as the saplings they planted grow into forests, and the children who were touched by these events will remember their experiences and become environmental champions for their generation, perhaps even organizing volunteer events of their own.
Maria Leung is the senior communications specialist with the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority.
