Forestry

Saturday, April 30, the City of Burlington in partnership with BurlingtonGreen and dozens of amazing volunteers will be working to plant 500 trees in Millcroft Park (4250 Millcroft Park Dr.). Registration is now full and we are no longer looking for volunteers. For more information please visit the Burlington Green website

The trees will help increase the City’s tree biodiversity with 10 different native tree species being planted from two-gallon pots in the northwest corner of the park. This is a great opportunity to learn from the pros about native trees and our urban forest.

We are very appreciative of all the volunteers who are bringing their own shovels, gloves and a willingness to get a little dirty to help plant some trees, grow our canopy and keep Burlington beautiful.

The City of Burlington’s Tree Planting Program is offering free trees to homeowners and businesses in Burlington to pick up and plant on their property. The tree giveaway is a part of the City’s Earth Day event held from 10 am to 4 pm at Central Park (2299 New St., in the parking lot behind the Central Arena) on Saturday, April 23^rd.

Property owners can submit their request for a tree through the completion of the online form beginning at 1 pm on Wednesday, April 13^th until the portal closes at 1 pm on Wednesday, April 20^th, or while supplies last.

View the online form – Please note it can be viewed now but not ordered until 1 pm, Wednesday, April 13th

There is a limit of one tree per property. There are a limited number of species and trees available – make sure that you are familiar with the requirements of each species available and that it is an appropriate, long-term fit for the location you have in mind.

Below is a list of the species available and a brief description of their space, light, and soil requirements.

1. Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) – Large – up to 35 m tall and 25 m wide; full sun to partial shade; moist, deep and rich soil; sensitive to salt, standing water and air pollution
2. Red Oak (Quercus rubra) – Large – up to 30 m tall and wide; full sun but can tolerate partial shade; adaptable to different soil conditions except very wet spots
3. Northern Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) – Medium – up to 15 m tall and wide; full sun to partial shade; adaptable to different soil conditions
4. Allegheny Serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis) – Small – up to 12 m tall and 9 m wide; adaptable to different light and soil conditions except very wet spots
5. Alternate-Leaf Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) – Small – up to 10 m tall and 15 m wide; partial shade but can tolerate full sun with ample soil moisture; moist, deep and rich soil
6. Ironwood (Ostrya virginiana) – Medium – up to 12 m tall and 8 m wide; partial shade but can tolerate full sun with ample soil moisture; adaptable to different soil conditions
7. White Pine (Pinus strobus) – Large – up to 35 m tall and 15 m wide; full sun to partial shade; adaptable to different soil conditions, but prefers well-drained sandy or sandy loam soils; sensitive to salt and air pollution
8. Tamarack (Larix laricina) – Large – up to 20 m tall and 8 m wide; full sun; adaptable to different soils; can tolerate wet soils; sensitive to salt and air pollution
9. Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) – Large – up to 30 m tall and 17 m wide; full sun; fast growing; moist, sandy loam soil
10. Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) – Small – up to 8 m and 10 m wide; full sun to partial shade; adaptable to different soil conditions except very wet spots

For more information about these species and other native trees, you can consult Ontario’s Tree Atlas (Southwest region)

For further information about the tree giveaway, please contact Greg Bunker at greg.bunker@burlington.ca or by phone at 905-335-7777 ext. 6120.

On Tuesday, June 1 and Wednesday, June 2 the City of Burlington will be using a low-flying helicopter to apply the second and final dose of bio-pesticide over four wooded areas to control gypsy moth (lymantria dispar dispar, LDD) populations. Gypsy moth caterpillars eat the leaves of trees, causing significant defoliation and potential long-term impact to the City’s urban forest.

The first application was successfully completed on May 25.

The final application of the pesticide will be completed between 5 and 9 a.m. and is expected to take 5-10 minutes for each park.

The areas identified for spraying include:

• City View Park
• Kilbride Park
• LaSalle Park
• Zimmerman Park

City staff will be temporarily preventing vehicles from using roads nearest the spray areas as the helicopter passes. The stoppage will take less than 15 minutes.

An interactive map is available on burlington.ca/gypsymoth that allows residents to enter an address so they can see where the address is in relation to the spray areas.

The second spray date will be posted on the City’s Twitter and Facebook accounts @CityBurlington and online at burlington.ca/gypsymoth at least 48-hours before the spraying.

The video recording with closed captioning from the May 12 virtual forestry open house is now available.

On May 25, the City of Burlington will be using a low-flying helicopter to apply a bio-pesticide over four wooded areas to control gypsy moth populations. The gypsy moths eat the leaves of trees, causing significant defoliation and potential long-term impact to the City’s urban forest.

Application of the pesticide will be completed between 5 and 7:30 a.m. and is expected to take 5-10 minutes for each park.

The areas identified for spraying include:

• City View Park
• Kilbride Park
• LaSalle Park
• Zimmerman Park

City staff will be stopping traffic on roads nearest the park while the helicopter is spraying. The road closure will take 15 minutes or less.

An interactive map is available on burlington.ca/gypsymoth that allows residents to enter an address so they can see where the address is in relation to the spray areas.

The second spray date will be posted on the City’s Twitter and Facebook accounts @CityBurlington and online at burlington.ca/gypsymoth at least 48-hours before the spraying.

The City of Burlington is inviting residents, business-owners and landowners to a virtual information session to learn more about urban forestry initiatives in the city, including the Street Tree Planting program and the annual Gypsy Moth Control program.

The open house will take place on Wednesday, May 12, from 7 to 8 p.m. on Microsoft Teams. A link to join the meeting is available here. Registration is not required and there is no cost to attend.

During the meeting, City of Burlington forestry staff will share information about:

· 2021 Gypsy Moth control program - As part of a multi-year pest management program, the City will be using a low-flying helicopter to aerial spray a bio-pesticide over four parks and wooded trail areas (City View Park, Killbride Park, LaSalle Park, Zimmerman Park) to control gypsy moth populations and protect city forests from heavy defoliation. More information about this year’s program, including locations and timing will be discussed at the open house.

· 2021 street tree planting program - Staff will provide insight about the goals for the future of Burlington’s canopy; plant healthcare challenges with growing trees on a street side; and plans to protect the city against future invasive species.