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(NARRATOR) IT STARTED OUT AS A SIMPLE IDEA,
TO PLANT TREES AND MAKE WELLINGTON COUNTY A LITTLE GREENER.
WITH THE HELP OF THE COMMUNITY,
THAT SIMPLE IDEA HAS GROWN TO OVER 1 MILLION TREES PLANTED
UNDER THE GREEN LEGACY PROGRAMME.
♪ ♪ ♪
OUR GREEN CLUB IS CALLED RENEGADE CLUB GREEN
BECAUSE OUR SCHOOL MASCOT IS A RENEGADE.
SO WHAT WE DO IS THERE IS A PRIMARY CLUB
AND A JUNIOR AND INTERMEDIATE CLUB
AND WE ARE JUST ALL ABOUT LIKE HELPING KIDS HELP THE ENVIRONMENT.
SO WE TEACH ABOUT RECYCLING,
WE GO AROUND CLASSES AND TELL THEM WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.
WE HELP THEM PLANT TREES THROUGH THE GREEN LEGACY PROGRAMME
AND WE'RE ALL ABOUT JUST LETTING THE SCHOOL KNOW LIKE LITTLE WAYS
THAT THEY CAN HELP THAT WILL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
EVERYONE IN OUR SCHOOL PLANTED A TREE FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS,
WE HAVE EVERYBODY PITCH IN AND THE PRIMARIES
THEY PLANT IN THE LITTLE SEEDS
AND THE JUNIORS GO TO THE NURSERY AND TRANSPLANT THEM
AND THEN AS INTERMEDIATES WE PLANT TREES TOO.
EVERYBODY IN THE SCHOOL PLANTS WHICH IS REALLY GREAT
BECAUSE WE HAVE OVER 600 KIDS IN OUR SCHOOL
THAT MEANS WE ARE DOING OVER 600 TREES
AND THAT IS REALLY GREAT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT,
BECAUSE EVERY YEAR WE JUST ADDING MORE.
THIS IS OUR THIRD YEAR WINNING THE GOLD SCHOOL AWARD
FOR EVERYBODY IN THE SCHOOL PLANTING A TREE
SO THAT IS REALLY GREAT BECAUSE EVERYBODY IS DOING THEIR PART.
NO MATTER HOW SMALL OR HOW TALL,
THEY ARE ALL DOING THEIR PART TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT.
NOW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO SHOW
YOU GUYS ARE THESE LITTLE SEEDS.
AND THE SEEDS THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE PLANTING TODAY ARE PINE SEEDS,
DO YOU GUYS KNOW THAT THE WHITE PINE IS OUR PROVINCIAL TREE?
SO IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT TREE TO US.
I DON'T WANT TO BE LIVING INSIDE AND THERE
BEING SMOG EVERYWHERE AND NO TREES AND FLOODING.
I DIDN'T WANT THAT SO I REALLY WANT TO
GET INVOLVED AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE
SO IN 10 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN 50 YEARS
I KNOW I DID MY PART TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT.
I WANT TO KNOW IF ANYONE HERE CAN TELL ME WHY TREES ARE IMPORTANT,
WHY WE ARE WANTING TO GROW TREES IN OUR COMMUNITY, YES?
BECAUSE IT HELPS THE EARTH?
IT HELPS THE EARTH, ABSOLUTELY.
THEY GIVE US OXYGEN.
THEY GIVE US OXYGEN. WHAT A GREAT ANSWER! YES?
THEY HELP THE EARTH AND US STAY ALIVE.
THEY HELP THE EARTH AND US STAY ALIVE.
THOSE ARE VERY GOOD ANSWERS.
TREES DO LOTS OF THINGS FOR US,
THEY GIVE US FOOD, THEY GIVE US SHADE,
THEY HELP TO KEEP OUR ATMOSPHERE COOL
AS CLIMATE CHANGES ARE HAPPENING.
SO THERE ARE LOTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT TREES ARE DOING FOR US,
SO THEY ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
♪ ♪ ♪
HERE AT THE GREEN LEGACY NURSERY
WE GROW HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF TREES WITH STUDENTS
AND A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT VOLUNTEERS.
AND IN THIS GREENHOUSE WERE CURRENTLY PUSHING
ALL OF LAST YEAR'S TREES FROM THE SMALL CELLS AND THEN
THE STUDENTS TRANSPLANT THEM IN OUR TRANSPLANT SHELTER.
AND THEN WERE ALSO SEEDING ALL OF THE NEXT GENERATION OF TREES.
WHEN WE ARE DOING THE SEEDING OF THE EVERGREENS
WE HAVE A VACUUM SYSTEM WHERE ALL THE SEEDS,
WHEN THE VACUUM IS ON THE SEEDS STICK TO THE LITTLE HOLES
AND THEN YOU PUT IT OVER TOP OF THE TRAY
AND THEN THE VACUUM IS CUT AND IT DROPS ALL THE SEEDS INTO THE TRAY.
THIS WAY WE CAN EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY SEED 208,000 TREES.
SO WE HAVE STUDENTS HELP US BY PREPARING THE FLATS
AND THEN THEY GO IN TO GET SEEDED AND THEN THEY WATER THEM,
COVER THEM WITH SAWDUST TO PREVENT WEEDS
AND ALSO TO PREVENT THE CELLS FROM DRYING OUT VERY QUICKLY
AND THEN THEY SET THEM UP AND THEN THEY'RE ALREADY TO GO
AND THEY'RE JUST STARTING TO GERMINATE NOW, OUR FIRST ONES.
30 PERCENT OF OUR TREES ARE HARDWOODS,
SO A LOT OF THE HARDWOODS ARE THE MAPLE, SUGAR MAPLE,
SILVER MAPLE, RED MAPLE, BLACK MAPLE, THE ASH TREES,
THE GREEN AND THE WHITE ASH.
AND HERE WE HAVE STARTED GROWING IS OUR WALNUTS.
EVERY DAY FROM APRIL TO MID JUNE WE HAVE A BUSLOAD OF KIDS
COME OUT TO THE NURSERY LIKE WE DO TODAY
THAT ARE HELPING US GROW THE TREES,
PLUS WE HAVE EXCHANGE STUDENTS
AND A WHOLE VARIETY OF DIFFERENT VOLUNTEERS.
THIS YEAR WERE LOOKING TO HAVE OVER 3500 VOLUNTEERS
WHICH WILL PUT IN ABOUT 15,000 HOURS.
WE GIVE OUT 150,000 PLUS SEEDLINGS A YEAR
WE ALSO GROW TREES LARGER FOR VARIETY OF DIFFERENT
PROJECTS FOR BUFFERS OF STREAMS,
AND ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT WERE DOING RIGHT NOW
IS LIVING SNOW FENCES.
ABOUT 30 TO 60 METERS FROM THE EDGE OF THE ROAD
WE PUT A LINE OF, NORMALLY IT'S WHITE SPRUCE,
AND WHAT THIS DOES IS IT ACTS AS THE WIND AND SNOW BARRIER,
IT DROPS ALL THE SNOW OUT ON THE LAND
SO IT DOESN'T DROP IT ONTO THE ROAD.
WE BUILT OUR COOLER UNDERGROUND,
SO OTHER THAN THIS FRONT FACE HERE,
THE REST OF THE BUILDING IS ALL INTO THE SIDE OF THIS HILL.
ONCE YOU GO 4 TO 5 FEET UNDER THE GROUND
IN THIS AREA IT IS ALWAYS ABOUT 4 DEGREES CELSIUS,
SO WE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL THE COOL TEMPERATURES
IN THE SOIL THAT HAVE BUILT UP OVER THE WINTER
THAT LEAK INTO THIS BUILDING.
SO IT TAKES VERY LITTLE ENERGY TO KEEP IT COOL AT THAT 2 TO 4 DEGREES CELSIUS.
WITH THE SIZE OF THIS FACILITY
WE ARE ACTUALLY ABLE TO HOLD ABOUT 250,000 PLUS TREES IN IT.
AND THAT IS THE GOAL OF THE NURSERY IS TO
EVENTUALLY PRODUCE, WE CAN GET UP TO 250,000 TREES HERE.
♪ ♪ ♪
MY NAME IS ROB,
AND I WORK FOR THE COUNTY OF WELLINGTON'S GREEN LEGACY TREE NURSERY
AND MATT HERE AS WELL.
SO WE ARE GOING TO BE HELPING YOU GUYS TO PLANT,
WE HAVE ABOUT 3000 TREES OR SO WE WILL PLANT AS MANY AS WE CAN.
♪ ♪ ♪
WE HAVE GRADE SEVENS AND EIGHTS HERE TODAY AND WE ARE
ANTICIPATING THE GREEN LEGACY PROGRAMME.
TODAY THEY ARE PLANTING I GUESS FOR HALF A DAY
AND ONE THING THAT WE WERE DISCUSSING IS HOW WELL THE KIDS
WORK HANDS-ON AND HOW THEY ARE REALLY STARTING TO UNDERSTAND
AND CONNECT WITH THEIR ENVIRONMENT.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE WERE THINKING TOO THAT WOULD BE NICE
IF THEY COULD COME BACK AGAIN IN 10 YEARS AND SEE THEIR PROGRESS.
EVERYONE IS PRETTY MUCH AWARE,
THEY ARE A LOT MORE AWARE THAN WHAT THEY USED TO BE.
AND I THINK IT'S JUST KIND OF A GENERAL ATTITUDE THAT IS
STARTING TO COME THROUGH IN SOME OF THESE KIDS.
WHETHER IT'S TREE PLANTING, WHETHER IT'S RECYCLING.
THE SMALL THINGS THAT WE CAN DO THAT CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
I THINK THEY'RE STARTING TO DISPLAY THAT.
♪ ♪ ♪
GOOD MORNING, WE ARE HERE TO CELEBRATE
WITH THIS SCHOOL BECAUSE WELLINGTON COUNTY HAS HAD
21 SCHOOLS THAT HAS ACHIEVED THE GOLD AWARD
FOR THE GREEN LEGACY PROGRAMME.
THAT MEANS THAT EVERY STUDENT IN THE SCHOOL WAS PARTICIPATING
IN THE TREE GROWING PROGRAMME, AT THE GREEN LEGACY SPONSORS.
THEY EITHER PLANTED SEEDS,
THEY WORK AT THE NURSERY
OR THEY PLANTED TREES.
OUR CLUB IS THE GREEN CLUB AND WE DO THINGS LIKE PICK UP LITTER,
HAVE ASSEMBLIES ABOUT RECYCLING
AND WE HELP THE KINDERGARTENS PLANT THEIR SEEDS.
TREE PLANTING IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT HELPS MAKE OXYGEN
AND FRESH AIR WHICH WILL MAKE IT EASIER FOR US TO LIVE HEALTHIER.
THE GREEN LEGACY HELPS MAKE WELLINGTON COUNTY GREENER.
LEGACY IS NOT A WORD WE USE VERY MUCH,
IT MEANS TO INHERIT SOMETHING OR FOR SOMETHING TO LAST A LONG TIME,
SOMETHING THAT GOES ONTO THE NEXT GENERATION.
WHEN I GOT MARRIED I PLANTED SOME TREES
AND THEY'RE NOT EVEN AS TALL AS THE CEILING YET,
THEY'RE STILL JUST A LITTLE BIGGER THAN MY HOUSE.
SO TREES TAKE A LONG TIME TO GROW,
THE TREES THAT WE PLANT TODAY ARE TREES THAT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE
NOT JUST FOR YOU BUT FOR YOUR KIDS
AND FOR YOUR GRANDKIDS WHEN THEY GET OLDER.
SO IT'S A LEGACY, SOMETHING THAT WERE DOING
FOR THE FUTURE WHEN WE PLANT THESE TREES.
AND EACH OF US CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE,
BECAUSE IT TAKES A LOT OF PEOPLE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE,
EVERYBODY HAS TO DO THEIR PART.
IT IS REALLY GOOD THAT EVERYONE AT THE SCHOOL HAS BEEN ABLE TO TAKE PART.
SO I WANT TO PRESENT YOU NOW WITH THIS GREEN LEGACY FLAG
THAT YOU CAN FLY PROUDLY OUT FRONT TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW
THAT YOU'RE DOING YOUR PART TO PLANT TREES AND TO
MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR OUR COMMUNITY,
NOT JUST FOR TODAY BUT INTO THE FUTURE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
(APPLAUSE)
♪ ♪ ♪
(APPLAUSE)
♪ ♪ ♪
TODAY'S A VERY SPECIAL DAY IN CENTRE WELLINGTON,
IT IS THE ANNUAL WARDEN'S TREE PLANTING DAY.
AND WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT,
BECAUSE WE HAD IT RAIN ALL NIGHT
WHICH IS EXCELLENT FOR US BECAUSE THE GROUND IS
RELATIVELY SOFT FOR US TO PUT 2500 TREES INTO THIS WETLAND AREA.
AND WE HAVE ABOUT 130 PEOPLE FROM THE COUNTY AND FROM THE TOWNSHIP STAFF
WORKING AS YOU SEE HAVING A GREAT DAY OUT HERE PLANTING TREES.
WE'VE HAD A REALLY GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP
AND PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GREEN LEGACY PROJECT,
IT'S BEEN A COMPLEMENTARY ONE WITH TREES FROM MAPLETON.
WE HAVE ABOUT A 10 PERCENT TREE COVER,
WHICH ENVIRONMENT CANADA SUGGEST THAT 30 PERCENT IS A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT.
AND SO WE HAVE A LOT TO WORK TO DO.
SO WE STARTED A PROJECT HELPING FARMERS,
SUBSIDIZING WINDBREAKS.
AND WE LOOKED AT THIS INTENSIVE AGRICULTURAL AREA
AND THERE AREN'T THAT MANY SPACES SO TO SPEAK
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT PLANTING TREES STRATEGICALLY
AND WINDBREAKS, SHELTER BELTS, LIVING SNOW FENCES, BUFFERING STREAMS.
THERE IS LOTS OF SPACE FOR WHAT WE HAVE PROJECTED TO BRING IT UP TO 20 PERCENT,
WE NEED 5 MILLION TREES IN THIS AREA.
AND ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT
THE FUTURE IS GOING TO HELP FARMERS STAND OFF CLIMATE CHANGE.
WE ARE MUCH MORE RESILIENT IF WE HAVE GOT A GOOD TREE COVER.
IT STARTED OUT AS A SIMPLE IDEA,
SINCE 2004 THE GREEN LEGACY PROGRAMME HAD PLANTED 999,999 TREES.
(APPLAUSE)
WITH THE HELP OF THE COMMUNITY MAKING IT THE LARGEST MUNICIPALITY
TREE PLANTING PROGRAM IN NORTH AMERICA,
SO THAT IS SOMETHING TOO.
TODAY WE ARE HERE TO CELEBRATING THE PLANTING OF THAT SPECIAL ONE MILLIONTH TREE.
I STARTED RUNNING LAST YEAR,
AND IF YOU ASKED ME IF I COULD RUN 100 KILOMETERS LAST YEAR
I WOULD HAVE LAUGHED AND SAID IS THAT HUMANLY POSSIBLE?
BUT THEN I HEARD ABOUT THESE ULTRA MARATHONS
AND THIS GUY RAN ACROSS THE SAHARA DESERT,
7000 KILOMETERS IN 111 DAYS.
SO I THOUGHT IF HE DID IT EVERY DAY FOR 111 DAYS,
I CAN DO IT FOR ONE DAY.
HI FOLKS.
I STARTING TO FEEL IT NOW.
NOW I'M JUST FEELING THE PAIN.
I STARTED AT MOUNT FOREST THIS MORNING AT SEVEN IN THE MORNING
SO THIS MARK IS A 60 KILOMETER MARK,
AND I HAVE ANOTHER 40 TO GO TO GET TO THE NURSERY.
AND WHY I DID THIS IS ONE, I WANTED EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTY
AND BEYOND TO KNOW WHAT THE COUNTY OF WELLINGTON
HAS DONE WITH THE GREEN LEGACY PROGRAMME.
BECAUSE I AM PRETTY PROUD OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED
AND WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH EDUCATION
AND THE TREES GETTING INTO THE GROUND.
WHAT I WANTED TO DO IS CHALLENGE THE COMMUNITY,
I AM DOING THIS CHALLENGE
AND I WANTED TO CHALLENGE EVERYBODY TO PLANT 10 TREES
IN THE COUNTY A YEAR.
SO THAT IS LIKE A HALF AN HOUR TO AN HOUR,
SO LESS THAN AN HOUR OF YOUR TIME A YEAR TO PLANT 10 TREES
AND WE WILL BE PLANTING 1 MILLION TREES A YEAR.
EVERY TREE WE PLANT IS A GIFT TO THE NEXT GENERATION.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TREES DO IS THEY MODERATE OUR CLIMATE,
THEY TAKE THOSE BUMPS OUT,
REALLY HOT, REALLY COLD, REALLY WET, REALLY DRY
AND THEY MAKE IT AVERAGE WHICH ALLOWS US TO GROW CROPS
AND BE SUSTAINABLE AND BE PRODUCTIVE.
SO WE ARE AIMING FOR THAT 30 PERCENT TREE COVER
AND I WANT TO SEE IT HAPPEN BY 2030.
♪ ♪ ♪
(PEOPLE CONVERSING)
♪ ♪ ♪
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP OUR ECOSYSTEM GREEN
AND HAVE LOTS OF TREES SO ANIMALS CAN LIVE
AND WE CAN LIVE A HEALTHY LIFE TOO.
(NARRATOR) PLANTING IS AN ACT OF
PUTTING DOWN ROOTS AND CONTRIBUTING TO THE FUTURE.
THE SIMPLE ACT OF PLANTING A TREE HELPS THE ENVIRONMENT IN MANY WAYS.
THE GREEN LEGACY PROGRAMME WILL GROW FOR YEARS TO COME,
WE ARE JUST GETTING STARTED.
♪ WHILE I'VE BEEN UP AND DOWN ALL OF ONTARIO ♪
♪ AND I KNOW I'VE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO ♪
♪ IN SPITE OF ALL THE WONDERS THAT I HAVE FOUND ♪
♪ I KNOW THERE IS MORE JUST DOWN THE ROAD ♪
♪ THE OLD RIVER RAMBLES ON ♪
♪ AND PEOPLE CAN'T HELP BUT SING THIS SONG ♪
♪ OF AN ANCIENT LAND OF THE CEDARS LONG AGO ♪
♪ WHILE I'VE BEEN UP AND DOWN ALL ONTARIO ♪
♪ AND I KNOW I'VE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO ♪
♪ ♪ ♪
♪ WELL I HAVE BEEN UP AND DOWN ALL OF ONTARIO ♪
♪ AND I KNOW I'VE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO ♪
♪ IN SPITE OF ALL THE VALLEYS THAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH ♪
♪ I KNOW THERE'S MORE FOR ME TO DO ♪
♪ THE POPULAR LEAVES RUFFLE IN THE SUMMER BREEZE ♪
♪ AND THE OAK TREES WAVING IN THE WINTER BREEZE ♪
♪ WHILE I'VE BEEN UP AND DOWN ALL OF ONTARIO ♪
♪ AND I KNOW I'VE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO ♪