By Jenny Doyle
Did you know that Mississippi Mills has a volunteer Tree Committee?
We are a group responsible to Mississippi Mills Community and Economic Development, and our keen and motivated members are Julie Yeaman, Ron Ayling, Ed Lawrence, Cornelius Berg, Allan Goddard, Elizabeth Dunning, Jane Hillary, and Jenny Doyle.
Our informal meetings are held once a month, usually at North Market, where the planting and maintaining of trees in Mississippi Mills is our main topic of discussion. We also plan activities for Arbour Week in April, including a special presentation evening. The Tree Committee relies on funding from Mississippi Mills and from donations.
Every year the Committee chooses a Tree Champion, someone who has made an outstanding contribution towards the planting, education, and/or maintenance of trees in our community. The Tree Champion is honoured with a tree planted in the community with a commemorative plaque in their name.
This year the award went to someone — Allan Goddard — who quietly goes about propagating, and saving, and replanting, and maintaining trees (or generously giving them away!) to all reaches of Mississippi Mills.
He gave a dynamic hands-on tree workshop for families, and 2 informative tree walks in Almonte for Arbour Week. He plants and maintains the beautiful Gilling Gardens, the triangular garden at the junction of Bridge and Perth Streets. Allan Goddard was presented a print of Neil Carleton’s painting, The Forest Floor, by the Committee.
The Tree Committee’s recommended book for your Christmas list, Dianna Beresford-Kroeger’s latest, Who Will Speak For The Trees?
Please consider volunteering to help the Committee plant and/or maintain trees.
May the Forest be With You
