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Barrie, Ont. (September 11, 2025) – Forests Canada and Maitland Conservation have partnered together for the past five years to plant almost 43,000 trees in the Maitland Valley Watershed, which stretches south from Harriston to Monkton, Ontario, and west to the shoreline.
“Our partnership with Maitland Conservation aligns with our mission to conserve, restore, and grow Canada’s forests to sustain life and communities,” Jess Kaknevicius, CEO, Forests Canada, says. “We are proud to be able to reduce the cost of tree planting for landowners and thankful to all our planting partners, including Maitland Conservation, who help to coordinate these planting projects and provide invaluable on-the-ground technical advice.”
In the first year of the partnership, Forests Canada and Maitland Conservation planted 4.4 acres (3,500 seedlings) and that number grew to 22 acres (17,500 seedlings) in spring of 2025. The two organizations are aiming to plant 25 acres (20,000 seedlings) in the spring of 2026 and are looking for landowners in the Maitland Valley Watershed who want to participate.
“I decided to do the project as a way of doubling the size of our existing historic woodlot and to increase the diversity of species planted. It felt important to respond to climate change by adding a wider mix of trees, including some that will be more resilient in a changing climate,” Wayne Caldwell, a landowner in the Maitland Valley Watershed, says. “Since planting, I’ve been amazed at the incredible growth – many trees are shooting up two feet or more each year. The added diversity is already drawing in more wildlife and birds, which has been a real highlight.”
“This partnership with Forests Canada is invaluable. Since we both have common goals, this collaboration allows us to work together to improve the quality of streams and rivers,” Shannon Millar, Restoration Supervisor, Maitland Conservation, says. “At Maitland Conservation, we target planting in areas with highly erodible soils and along watercourses, which is crucial for keeping sediment and nutrients on the land and out of our water.”
Landowners in the Maitland Valley Watershed who want to learn more about support for planting projects can visit www.ForestsCanada.ca/PlantTrees or contact Maitland Conservation’s Karlene Zurbrigg directly at 519-357-3557 ext. 250 or kzurbrigg@mvca.on.ca.
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For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Matthew Brown
Communications Manager
Forests Canada
Cell: 519-471-4751
E-mail: mbrown@ForestsCanada.ca
About Forests Canada
Forests Canada is a non-profit charity working to conserve, restore, and grow Canada’s forests to sustain life and communities. With interactive education programs inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards, and high-quality forest recovery efforts supporting local jobs and economies, we have proudly built the infrastructure and network needed to help ensure the greatest possible outcomes for Canada's forests from coast to coast to coast.
Learn how you can get involved today. Visit www.ForestsCanada.ca or follow us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, or LinkedIn to find out more.
Photo
Caption: A four-year old planting in the Maitland Valley Watershed with a variety of species, including white spruce, white cedar, sycamore, tulip tree, and red oak.
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