CORNWALL, Ontario – A long line of locals patiently waited to receive free seedlings outside of the Raisin Region Conservation Authority on Saturday, April 27 as part of the 20th annual Earth Day Tree Giveaway.
Nine-year-old brothers Kaleb and Karson St. Pierre were in attendance with their family and expressed their understanding of how important trees are to the environment.
“If we cut down all the trees, things would die,” said Kaleb.
“We learned about it in school last year,” said Karson. The brothers, who attend Sacred Heart Catholic School, are on the Green Team. “We learn about earth and recycling (on the Green Team).”
“We have invited some extra people to participate today to celebrate with us,” said Van De Ligt, referring to the 20th anniversary. “We are so fortunate to have an amazing list of sponsors that make the event happen.”
“It’s important to have an event like this to encourage people to plant trees on their property. Trees are certainly very important, they have so many benefits, such as carbon sequestration, habitat for wildlife, there’s the aesthetic aspect…and we certainly want to encourage people to increase the forest cover in our area,” added Van De Ligt.