Early this month, staff and volunteers at the rare Charitable Research Reserve planted 87 new trees in its Forest of Memories.The initiative, run in partnership with Lisaard and Innisfree Hospice, encourages people to donate for tree plantings in memory of friends or loved ones. The trees, picked from species appropriate to the area and planted on recovering agricultural land, will gradually connect two old-growth forests on rare lands, expanding forest habitats for native plants and animals.
“The memorial is not the individual trees that are planted,”says rare’s Communications Officer, James Bow. “Rather, it is the forest that they build together. We’ve been proud to work with Lisaard and Innisfree and the Preston Knights in building up this forest. By honouring our friends and loved ones, we build a legacy in their name that will benefit future generations.”
The trees were among 347 planted throughout rare’s lands in 2024. These included trees planted around Bauman Creek, 7 trees provided by the City of Waterloo and 205 trees donated for TD Tree Day. TD Tree Day is a volunteer program for community members and TD employees to plant trees and shrubs to enhance urban and rural greenspaces.
“There is a lot of work involved in protecting and restoring our natural spaces,” says rare’s Conservation Technician, Alissa Fraser. “The trees provided through the Forest of Memories initiative, the City of Waterloo and TD Tree Days all help in the restoration of habitats where native plants and animals can thrive.”
At a memorial event celebrating the Forest of Memories, rare unveiled an update to its sign that indicates the names of those honoured by tree contributions in 2023 and 2024. “The sign is on a part of the trail near the Forest of Memories site,” says Bow. “It can be found in Ancient Woods, one of the two old-growth forests that we hope to connect with the Forest of Memories. On this trail, people can remember their loved ones while standing among the trees that we expect the Forest of Memories to become.”
The rare Charitable Research Reserve is a community-driven urban land trust and environmental institute protecting over 1,200 acres of environmentally sensitive lands across Waterloo Region and Wellington County while engaging the community to take local action toward mitigating the global climate crisis. The organization runs research and education programs and maintains over 12 kilometres of trails to foster an appreciation of these lands and their importance to the health and well-being of the surrounding community and the generations to follow.
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Organization Contact for Media Inquiries:
James Bow, Communications Officer
rare Charitable Research Reserve
(519) 590-9640
james.bow@raresites.org
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