A tree is an investment that gives back in benefits for decades. But with hundreds of trees to choose from, how do you decide which is best for your location? At this FREE workshop you will be guided through the process of selecting a tree that will thrive on your property. We’ll go through the decision making process looking at some of these questions:
- Do I want shade, privacy, spring flowers, fall colours or winter interest?
- Do I want to attract songbirds?
- Is the soil dry or is it damp?
- How close can my tree be to the house or power lines?
- What’s the best time to plant and prune?
- How do I take care of it once it’s been planted?
Brian Geerts will provide an overview of the Cambridge’s Urban Forest Plan, Canopy Study, and how the City, your neighbours, and you benefit from participating in the Backyard Tree Planting Program. Adele Pierre will follow with a talk about how to make informed tree investments and find the right fit to ensure a healthy and thriving tree for years to come.
Doors open at 6:30pm. Lecture starts at 7:00pm.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THIS FREE EVENT!
Presenters
Brian Geerts | Manger of Forestry & Horticulture, City of Cambridge
Brian has a diploma in Ecosystem Management with a specialty in Arboriculture and is currently pursuing a Masters of Public Administration. He has worked in urban forestry and horticulture for the past twenty years, and resides south of Brantford along the Grand River. Brian navigated the City of Cambridge through recent forestry issues such as the Emerald Ash Borer response, a private property tree by-law, and an ice storm. He is also in demand as the lead on other issues in the City including responses to the opiod/homelessness crises. Contrary to popular wisdom, Brian can see both the trees and the forest at the same time.
Adele Pierre | Landscape Design & Tree Consultant, Reep Green Solutions
Landscape architect and ISA arborist, Adele Pierre leads an award winning design firm specializing in the creation of beautiful, low maintenance landscapes. Mindful of the effects of climate change on our natural systems, Adele incorporates native plantings in all projects to provide habitat for pollinators, build healthy soils and manage rainwater. As an arborist her particular concern is the health of urban trees, working with architects, engineers and planners to incorporate hardy species of trees in city plantings.
Along with her husband, a musician and woodworker, she enjoys country life on 2 acres in Haldimand County with a large vegetable garden, laying hens, honey bees and an extensive collection of native flowering shrubs and perennials to feed the bees. Their honey, mead and honey beer are spectacular.
Partners
This workshop is brought to you in partnership with the City of Cambridge to provide an enhanced appreciate of our Urban Forest. This workshop is a companion to a subsidized residential tree planting pilot from Reep Green Solutions.
Photo Notice
By your entry, you consent to the possibility of being included in the footage and to the purposes for which it may be used: to publicize the event taking place in this area and/or to promote Reep Green Solutions. Individual participants will not be identified without their consent. Reep Green Solutions has exclusive rights to and ownership of this multimedia footage. Speak with the staff/volunteers if you would like to opt-out of appearing in photo/video. Contact [email protected] if you have questions or concerns.
New subsidized program will pick the perfect location on your property, plant it and teach you how to care for it going forward.
Cambridge, ON. In partnership with the City of Cambridge and LEAF (Local Enhancement & Appreciation of Forests), Reep Green Solutions has launched a new subsidized tree planting program for homeowners in the Cambridge community. Trees are vital to the health of our cities and neighbourhoods and this program will help ensure homeowners are selecting the right tree for the right place.
Homeowners receive an in-person consultation with an arborist, as well as delivery and full planting service. Reep Green Solutions’ arborist assesses the conditions in the yard and asks about the homeowners’ needs and preferences to help them decide on the tree species and planting locations that are most suitable for their yard.
The City of Cambridge is subsidizing the cost of this program with additional support from the Ages Foundation Fund at the Cambridge and North Dumfries Community Foundation to encourage the growth and health of the urban forest. According to Brian Geerts, City of Cambridge Manager of Forestry and Horticulture, “Approximately 80% of the urban forest canopy is on private lands in the city. This program provides support for getting trees planted on private properties and complements the City’s own tree planting efforts in our parks, streets, and natural areas.”
The trees available through this program will all be native to Ontario. Native trees require less maintenance than exotic species, and provide essential habitat for local wildlife. Reep Green Solutions’ Manager of Green Infrastructure programs, Patrick Gilbride emphasized, “The focus of the consultation with an arborist is to help property owners pick the right tree for the right place, and teach them to provide the right care so that the trees will survive and thrive.” Trees are selected in collaboration with the homeowner to ensure its long term health and longevity.
Homeowners pay the subsidized price of approximately $150 – $220/per tree depending upon the tree(s) chosen, which includes a personalized consultation, delivery and full planting, along with a long-term care guide. There will also be opportunities to participate in workshops on tree maintenance and care hosted by Reep Green Solutions starting this fall. Interested homeowners can visit reepgreen.ca/trees for more information.
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Reep Green Solutions is an environmental charity based in the Waterloo Region committed to helping people live sustainably. Reep offers home energy, waste reduction, water conservation and healthy yards services. For further questions on the program, please direct your inquires to Donnique Williams, [email protected].
13 Oct 2018
Landscape Solutions for Managing Water
EVENT DETAILS
Learn ways to add landscape solutions like rain gardens, bioswales, and trees into your yard. See first-hand the gardens at Avenue Road Baptist Church that are designed to soak up and filter stormwater.
Tour the rain garden and row of trees that reduce water runoff into the newly revamped stormwater pond. We will discuss actions that can reduce runoff from our properties and help to protect our local water ways, such as nearby Shade’s Mills Pond.
Date/Time: Saturday October 13th, 12:30pm – 1:30pm
Location: Avenue Road Baptist Church (465 Avenue Rd, Cambridge, ON N1R 5S4)
Registration: Free (space is limited so reserve your spot)
Light refreshments provided
Presenter: Becca Robinson, RAIN Coach, Reep Green Solutions
Becca Robinson is the Principal Designer and Owner of Grow and Gather Design and is currently the RAIN Coach for REEP Green Solutions. Her practice of landscape architecture centres around the creation of places that promote and celebrate the benefits of interacting with nature.
She has been the landscape designer for prestigious projects such as Maggie’s Cancer Care Centre, a City of Edinburgh park adjacent to the Holyrood Palace (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge (DRIWR).
She has a Masters of Landscape Architecture from University of Michigan and a B.S. in Environmental Science from University of North Carolina.
Workshop Funders and Partners:
REGISTRATION
EVENT DETAILS
Meet at Idea Exchange, Preston and enjoy a guided walk through historic Riverside Park. Throughout its history, the park has been a gathering spot for people in the community. Learn more about the trees that live and grow in the park and share our urban environment. This workshop will be led by Kristen Grittani, an ISA Certified Arborist, and Patrick Gilbride, from Reep Green Solutions. Visit Idea Exchange for more information.
REGISTRATION
Online – Please note an email address is required for online registration.
By phone – 519-653-3632
In Person – Visit any Idea Exchange location to register
20 Sep 2017
Greening Your Neighbourhood Workshop – Sept 20
For Residents of the Fiddlesticks neighbourhood
(see map below for boundaries)
The Greening Your Neighbourhood Workshop will invite neighbours to collaborate with city planners, engineers and landscape designers to imagine ways to improve the use of the outdoor space in the neighbourhood so it can manage stormwater and improve the quality of life for residents. Landscape solutions that help to manage rain also can have benefits to the community by adding to its beauty, adding green space and shade, and lowering the risk of flooding. The goal of this workshop is to explore and develop projects that could be acted upon by community members.
People who attend the workshop will be led through a series of activities that will tap into their unique knowledge to identify priority areas that could be enhanced or improved in the neighbourhood. Participants will then evaluate and prioritize potential projects to green the neighbourhood and improve its resiliency to climate change.
Refreshments will be provided. There will be child friendly activities for those with young children.
Agenda:
To follow
Neighbourhood Boundary Map
The neighbourhood for the project includes an area bordered on the north by Saginaw Parkway. The southern boundary of the area will be Avenue Road, the western boundary is Cowan Boulevard, and the eastern boundary is Light Drive.
Facilitated by Reep Green Solutions’ RAIN Coach
Becca Robinson is the Principal Designer and Owner of Grow and Gather Design (www.growandgatherdesign.com) and is currently the RAIN Coach for REEP Green Solutions. Her practice of landscape architecture centres around the creation of places that promote and celebrate the benefits of interacting with nature.
She has been the landscape designer for prestigious projects such as Maggie’s Cancer Care Centre, a City of Edinburgh park adjacent to the Holyrood Palace (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge (DRIWR). She has a Masters of Landscape Architecture from University of Michigan and a B.S. in Environmental Science from University of North Carolina.
Earth Day is on a Saturday this year
Come and join the celebrations at the Reep House for Sustainable Living!
Enter our prize draw! Tattoos for the kids!
Here’s what’s happening
Open House 10 – 3
Drop and check out environmentally friendly features both inside and outside the Reep House for Sustainable Living.
Ask the Experts
10 – 1 Home Energy Efficiency: Dave Wood, Registered Energy Advisor
10 – 11 Water Conservation: Brendan Schaefer, Reep House Facilities Manager
12 – 1 Insulation: Brendan Schaefer, Reep House Facilities Manager
1 – 3 RAIN Smart Homes: Patrick Gilbride, RAIN Program Manager
1 – 3 Taking action on climate change: Danielle Laperriere, ClimateActionWR
2 – 3 Waste Reduction: Andrea Bales, Waste Reduction Advisor
RSVP on Facebook. Invite your friends!
Schneider Creek Neighbourhood Clean Up
10 a.m. – Gather at the park by the pedestrian bridge on Peter Street
10 a.m. – 12 p.m. – Clean up!
Noon – Return to Reep House to enjoy hospitality and open house
Here’s one of the stories that we share in our 2016 Report to the Community about how we help you live sustainably.
Imagine turning off your heat in December and not noticing for three days that you never turned it back on. That may be hard to believe but that is exactly what Johanne and Marcel Girard of Cambridge shared by video to those attending our 2015 awards event.
When they decided to embark on a major renovation of their century home, they arranged for an EnerGuide Home Evaluation by one of REEP Green Solutions’ team of Certified Energy Advisors (CEA). What they learned was that much of their heat was making its way outside.
Their CEA laid out for them the criteria to qualify for the Union Gas Home Reno Rebate program. By doing two projects to improve their home energy efficiency, they qualified for $2,095 in rebates including the costs of the home evaluations before and after the renovations.
Initially, the Girards just wanted to replace their baseboards. It became a bigger project when they discovered their walls didn’t have any insulation but they learned that they could get a rebate for adding it if they had a home energy evaluation.
Their CEA recommended insulating the walls, which in their case meant gutting rooms to the stud and adding batt insulation with a vapour barrier.
The difference their work made has been dramatic. They are on balanced payments for their natural gas based on their previously leaky home. At the end of their first year in the upgraded house, they received $994 back because they had cut their use of natural gas by 37%. They also saved $25 monthly on their electrical costs.
“I can turn on the heat on a cold day for a couple hours and the house stays warm throughout the day,” says Johanne. “And I’m a chilly willy, if I say the house is warm, it’s warm!”
As the Province of Ontario rolls out an enhanced home energy upgrade program, there will be more opportunities across the Region to increase the warmth and comfort of our homes while reducing heating costs. See our website for complete details.
ClimateActionWR reports that 22% of local greenhouse gas emissions come from our homes’ energy use. Having a home energy evaluation and implementing the recommendations is important so that your home can be a part of the solution to climate change.
