Toronto, Ontario, May 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Proving how effective the ALUS model is, the organization was able to plant 97,434 trees on 96 hectares of land during the 2021 season to support the 2 billion Government of Canada trees Commitment.
ALUS tree planting projects support carbon emission reductions both through land use changes, which result in reduced use of synthetic inputs and emissions from heavy machinery, and by carbon sequestration. Biodiversity is supported by the intensification of farm-level habitat and the growth of ecosystem corridors through a range of local ecosystem projects, including among the groundswell of new ALUS participants and communities joining the long-term projects of their neighbours.
“The Government of Canada is on track to meet its commitment to plant 2 billion trees. By developing strong partnerships across the country, we are rapidly increasing the scale of the program each season,” said the Honorable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources. “In 2021, achieving ALUS by planting over 97,000 trees in our first planting season contributed to our national effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve biodiversity across Canada and move towards net zero by 2050.”
These natural infrastructure projects are made possible through long-term funding and technical expertise provided by ALUS and partner organizations that ensure communities can adopt, administer and bear the initial costs of these projects, such as the Federation Association of Fishermen and Hunters Peterborough, Forests Ontario, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Yamaska Watershed Organization.
“We are incredibly proud of the commitment our participating farmers and ranchers are making to nurturing biodiversity,” said Alyssa Cousineau, Eastern Center Director, ALUS. “Our participants help fulfill ALUS’ mission to create, support and restore ecosystems across the country, while our local partner organizations ensure that participants have access to ALUS. »
ALUS participants from communities in Norfolk, Elgin, Middlesex, Chatham-Kent, Lambton, Ontario East and Peterborough in Ontario, as well as communities in Outaouais and Montérégie in Quebec, sought out natural infrastructure projects supported by ALUS to achieve these goals in 2021.
The ALUS Peterborough program hosted four tree planting events in 2021, attracting over 100 volunteers from the community to help committed farmers get the job done in planting trees.
“The volunteers who have come forward to support our ALUS participants are truly amazing,” says Kate Powell, Program Coordinator, ALUS Peterborough. “Many of these volunteers have jobs or are students. It is a testament to their commitment to creating a healthier and more resilient environment that they have found the time to help transform their community and support their local farmers.
The five-acre riparian buffer project captured in the image above provides essential ecological services, such as filtering agricultural runoff, retaining flood waters and supporting biodiversity. Wildlife that benefits from shoreline projects like this include organisms that live in streams and streams, such as benthic insects and fish. Species planted for this project include silver maple, yellow birch, spruce, white cedar, elderberry, hackberry, meadowsweet, marsh rose and button shrub.
Species are selected that harmonize with the natural ecology, providing direct support to the riparian habitat, as well as insects, birds, rodents, reptiles and mammals that depend on a diverse and robust ecosystem to support their life cycle.
About ALUS
ALUS (originally an acronym for Alternative Land Use Services) is a national charity that provides expertise, resources and direct financial support to 35 communities in 6 provinces where more than 1,400 farmers and ranchers establish and manage solutions based on nature on their land. Through these solutions, they provide ecosystem services to help sustain agriculture and combat climate change and biodiversity loss for the benefit of communities and future generations. Projects such as enhanced wetlands, windbreaks, riparian buffers, wildlife habitats, adaptive agricultural practices and other impactful environmental solutions produce cleaner air, cleaner water, greater biodiversity, carbon sequestration, erosion control, flood and drought mitigation, pollinators and wildlife habitat, and other ecological services. Learn more at ALUS.ca.
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