There was a time when Windsor's urban tree canopy was among the most sparse in Canada, but that is changing.
When the Essex Region Conservation Authority started in 1973, less than four per cent of the region was forested. Initial forest loss in Windsor-Essex began in the 17th Century as European settlers cleared land for agriculture.
Tree Canada Community Advisor Donald Craig and Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens on November 5, 2021. (Courtesy of the City of Windsor on Facebook)
Slowly, that is changing, and a new grant from the CN Rail EcoConnexions program and Tree Canada will help improve the city's urban forest.
Windsor is one of 26 cities across the country that will benefit from the $25,000 grant, money that will pay to plant 60 new trees on public properties.
While in the past, the city's urban tree canopy may have been an afterthought, the current city council has made it a priority by investing $3.8-milion over the past two years into efforts to expand, protect, and manage its diverse forest. The number of trees planted each year has doubled to 2,000, and a new seven-year tree-trimming program will prune 10,000 annually.
"We completed the city's first comprehensive canopy cover study," said Mayor Drew Dilkens. "Results of that work showed that Windsor's canopy cover to be about 19 per cent, which is close to the average for Ontario's large cities."
The city is also developing its inaugural Urban Forest Management Plan, which will set a modern strategy for enhancing the diversity of Windsor's tree population.
Trees are also part of Windsor's plan to address climate change. They remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, store carbon, and prevent soil erosion.