This year will be a special one for the Wellington County Green Legacy program.
The county will plant its one-millionth tree since the program began in 2004 as part of the county’s 150th anniversary celebrations.
The county will plant a commemorative tree at the Wellington County Museum and Archives in April. The first tree of the program was planted there in 2004.
The report prompted councillor Lynda White to ask planning committee chairman Walter Trachsel “What kind of tree?”
Trachsel referred that question to county planner Gary Cousins, who said “That’s still under discussion.”
Councillor Lou Maieron said councillor John Green is “keen on butternut.”
County Communications Officer Andrea Ravensdale is chairman of a Green Legacy committee program for this year.
The committee is hoping to have a number of special events. Some of those under consideration include Ravensdale preparing an article for Municipal World about the program. There could also be a full page report on the program on the county’s communications page in the Wellington Advertiser. It is tentatively scheduled for May 14.
The committee is also considering filming a documentary about the program that can be played in schools and to be distributed to schools, local municipalities, government agencies, and organizations across North America.
The committee is considering open house for nursery volunteers and a volunteer wall at the nursery.
The committee also learned that all of the nearly 156,000 trees for this year’s planting were sold out by Dec. 15. Nursery staff are now packaging them for delivery to the local municipalities and tree planters across Wellington.
The Green Legacy program will have a booth at the Drayton Farm Show in April and it will have a new look. Ravensdale has designed a larger display booth for larger conference use and for nursery staff to take to local events.
The committee is also considering an expansion of the nursery itself.
Committee member Rob Johnson believes the nursery could produce up to 250,000 trees before space becomes a limitation.
There was some discussion about creating a satellite nursery in the future in the norther portion of the county, but the current emphasis will be incremental increases at the nursery and improvements for the agricultural field behind the Aberfoyle county garage site.
