Mississauga Celebrates National Forest Week with Exciting Events and Tree Planting Initiatives
Mississauga, ON – As part of National Forest Week, running from September 22 to 28, Mississauga is rolling out a series of engaging events aimed at raising awareness about the city’s urban forests and natural areas. The week-long celebration will highlight the importance of trees and offer opportunities for residents to get involved in local environmental efforts.
The festivities kick off with the Ontario Tree Climbing Championships at RK McMillan Park on September 20 and 21. This annual event will showcase the skills of top arborists as they compete in various tree climbing challenges. Attendees will have the chance to visit a tradeshow featuring vendors from the arborist industry and participate in a “Fun Climb” station, where they can try tree climbing under the supervision of a professional arborist.
In addition to the tree climbing competition, residents are encouraged to become Mississauga Nature Stewards. This initiative invites community members to assist in removing invasive plant species from local parks and natural areas. Four staff-led events are scheduled for the fall:
- Sawmill Valley Trail: September 28 and October 26
- Osprey Woods: November 2
- Cawthra Park: November 9
Participants will gain valuable knowledge about invasive plant species and learn the best practices for their removal, all while working alongside City staff and fellow volunteers.
Trees play a vital role in Mississauga’s environment, offering numerous benefits such as combating climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide, providing shade to cool urban areas, controlling floodwaters, and enhancing the city’s aesthetic appeal with vibrant foliage. Recognizing these benefits, the City’s One Million Trees program aims to add one million trees to Mississauga’s canopy by 2032. Since its inception in 2013, the program has successfully planted over 540,000 trees. Residents can support this initiative by participating in tree-planting events or planting trees and shrubs on their own properties, with a preference for native species to support local wildlife.
For more information on National Forest Week activities and to register for events, visit mississauga.ca/national-forest-week. Learn more about the City’s forestry efforts at mississauga.ca/forestry.
SOURCE City of Mississauga
