Quinte West – With a little help from Murray Centennial Public School and the Trenton Rotary Club, Lower Trent Conservation is a step closer to completing phase two of what is hoped to be an all-year long ‘Greening the Greenbelt’ project at Trenton Greenbelt Conservation Area.
Forty Grade 7 and 8 students planted 150 native wildflowers this week on the Trenton Greenbelt Conservation Area, and members of the Trenton Rotary Club planted 250 native trees and shrubs several weeks ago.
With additional plantings planned for the fall, the ‘Greening the Greenbelt’ project, once completed, will boost biodiversity, enhance shoreline habitat, increase public enjoyment of the public green space, and help build a resilient natural area along the Trent River. The first phase of the project includes the planting of native species of trees, shrubs and wildflowers along a 300 metre section of shoreline located just north of the Trenton Pet Hospital.
“Having the help of community groups is the only way we could complete a project like this,” said Glenda Rodgers, Lower Trent Conservation CAO. “Many grant programs have a volunteer component as part of the program criteria. Without special grants, we would not have the financial resources to carry out a project such as this.”
Trenton Greenbelt Conservation Area is located in the heart of Trenton at the gateway to the historic Trent-Severn Waterway. The 2.5 kilometre long Conservation Area hugs the Trent River shoreline almost reaching the river mouth at the Bay of Quinte on Lake Ontario. This ribbon of green is Trenton’s only urban riverside natural area, popular for hiking, cycling, wildlife viewing, and fishing.
Unfortunately the public green space is in poor ecological health, suffering from historical harmful land uses. Many sections of the Conservation Area consist of mowed lawn, invasive plants, and few native species, which makes for poor quality shoreline habitat.
A total of $17,053.00 was received through the Great Lakes Guardian Community Fund to complete the project. As part of Ontario’s Great Lakes Strategy, the Fund was set up to help people take action to protect and restore the Great Lakes.
Other partners donating services and materials include Fuller Native and Rare Plants Nursery, Git-R-Down Tree Service, and Dibbits Excavating and Landscaping.