Planting & Gardening
Green Your Sacred Space with Trees, Plants, & Other Gardening Initiatives !
Your congregation can contribute to your local community and the climate by planting native trees and plant species at your place of worship, on your personal property, or by participating in local community planting events.
Many regions have local initiatives for planting & gardening. Here are a few programs and services we have heard about:
TREE PLANTING
Ecology Ottawa: Tree Campaign
Ecology Ottawa's Tree Campaign is an all-inclusive, inter-generational, community-centred legacy to expand and care for Ottawa’s tree canopy. Know where to find them by following their Tree Giveaway Calendar!
South Nation Conservation Authority: Tree Planting Services
Over the Counter Tree Planting ProgramSNC provides over the counter tree sales:
Minimum order 100 seedlings;
Trees must be ordered in multiples of 50;
Landowners are responsible for picking up their trees and planting them;
No management agreement, no survival guarantees;
Orders are currently being accepted for spring 2023 until mid December or until all trees have been allocated;
An additional subsidy of $0.25 per seedling may be available for native tree species.
Order your 2023 trees with this form!
Rideau Valley Conservation Authority
Trees for Tomorrow Reforestation Program
Rideau Valley Conservation Authority helps transform empty lands into thriving, green fields through tree planting initiatives. They have helped plant more than 6.8 million trees since 1983!
Visit their PROGRAM PAGE for more information and to see if you qualify.
You can also contact Ian Cochrane by phone at 613-692-3571 or
1-800-267-3504 ext. 1175 or through email at ian.cochrane@rvca.ca to learn more.
Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation: Memorial Tree Program
The Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation offers a Memorial Tree Program in memory of departed loved ones or friends. They plant healthy, locally-grown seedlings and look after them for several years on your behalf until they gradually take their place, without inscription, in a vibrant new forest of the future. Forests Ontario: 50 Million Tree Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6fPeMLzWnY
Forests Ontario’s 50 Million Tree Program is a tree planting program supported by the Government of Canada, corporate sponsors and donors. It increases forest cover by making tree planting easier and more affordable for property owners and municipalities.
You can order directly from Forest Ontario Or through SNCA
Contact for the 2023 season!
City of Ottawa: Green Acres
In cooperation with the local Conservation Authorities and the Ottawa Stewardship Council, Green Acres provides incentive grants for over-the-counter orders of 500 or more seedlings in the amount of $0.20 per seedling. Through the Full-Service Program which requires 1,000 trees or more, the program will cover 50% of the total cost of the project in year 1 and will provide 75% of the future tending costs until year 5.
Contact for the 2023 season!
LandOwner Resource Centre
www.Irconline.com(link is external)
info@Irconline.com(link opens email application)
613-692-3571
1-800-387-5304
2 Billion Trees Program
This government funded program aims to motivate and support new tree planting projects. Over a period of 10 years, by 2031, up to $3.2 billion will be invested in tree planting efforts to support provinces, territories, third-party organizations (for and not-for profit) and Indigenous organizations to plant two billion trees across Canada.
Applications for 2022 are now closed, but more funding rounds will be available in the future.
Forêt Capitale Forest
An Ottawa organization that leads tree planting initiatives in Ottawa by running tree planting events, helping communities/organizations plant trees, arranging walking tours, and much more. They offer multiple projects and resources to help you get started.
Learn more about them and how you can get involved or volunteer on their website HERE!
GentleWays for OurPlanet: Tree Planting Program
GentleWays promotes tree planting in a couple of ways: by organizing various tree planting events with cultural groups and through their app i4ThePlanet.
Their app allows you to log your ecological actions and redeem points to plant real trees!
PLANTS & GARDENING
Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library
Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library provides free seeds and plants that have been donated. They do this through a variety of events and donations.
Visit their WEBSITE to keep up with their giveaways and to check out the resources they offer about planting!
In 2021-22, they held 7 cross-city events and mailed seeds to approximately 200 different households, cottages, as well as schools, scout, church and hospice projects, which will result in a minimum of 22 500 new native plants (115 different species)
You can also contact them at wildflowerseedlibrary@gmail.com to see how you can get involved.
The Box of Life
The Box of Life is a vermi-composting company that designs sustainable worm farms in Ottawa in order to encourage composting and reduce landfill contributions.
Akil, the founder of The Box of Lifebelieves that "the humble composting earthworm can reshape our relationship with food and rekindle our love for nature in the urban world!"
City of Ottawa: Community Gardens & Plant Resources
There are over 115 community gardens in Ottawa, many managed and owned by the City of Ottawa. Learn more about the City's efforts on their website!
If you would like to join in and get involved with an already established community garden, consult this MAP and contact a member!
If you would like to start up a new community garden in Ottawa, visit this PAGE to learn how!
Also, be sure to check out the city's resources on native and invasive plant species on their Plants page! They provide the public with a list of recommended plant species as well as a list of ones to avoid.
Just Food: Community Gardening Network
Just Food provides communities with resources in order to encourage more sustainable food & farming systems in the Ottawa region.
Check out their GARDEN GUIDE to learn more about community gardens and how to implement them.
Looking for garden funding? Consider applying to their COMMUNITY GARDEN DEVELOPMENT FUND.
Network of Nature: CanPlant Database
The Network of Nature is a national movement created to restore Canada's biodiversity by motivating, educating and empowering individuals and organizations to plant locally appropriate native species.
Network of Nature
Their website contains a platform / tool that you can use to search through a variety of plant species and learn more about them. You can narrow down your searches with specific filters in order to identify native plant species that are appropriate for your area and needs.
Green Churches Network: Grounds
green leaf
Take action on your faith community's grounds by implementing some of the ideas and projects Green Churches Network suggests! From maintenance to natural habitats, they cover a variety of things you can do!
Ontario Invasive Plant Council: Grow Me Instead - Beautiful Non-Invasive Plants for your Garden
Grow me instead
Check out this guide by the Ontario Invasive Plant Council that lists and goes over alternative plant species that you can use to beautify your gardens in Southern Ontario, rather than using invasives.
Canadian Wildlife Federation: Native Plant Encyclopedia
native plant encyclopedia
The Canadian Wildlife Federation hosts a database all about native plant species in Canada! Search the specific plants you would like to learn more about or explore plant types and regions to uncover new species.