The City of Coquitlam is on track to meet its goal of planting 10,000 trees in 2022, double the City’s typical tree-planting target, thanks to the success of its inaugural Tree Spree program.
Volunteers, staff, and residents planted trees in public spaces and on private properties throughout the community and residents were educated on the value of a thriving urban tree canopy.
“The Tree Spree program has been incredibly successful,” Urban Forest and Parks Services Manager Erin Gorby says. “Not only will we meet our commitment of planting 10,000 trees but we’ve also connected with our community to talk about the benefits of trees in a number of different ways.”
The Tree Spree initiative includes public education, tree giveaways to residents and businesses, and tree-planting sessions at community events. This new program coincides with the first year of Coquitlam’s new Environmental Sustainability Plan and is part of the City’s ongoing Tree Management activities.
A crucial portion of the program was partnering with School District 43 to plant trees in the schoolyards, hold urban forestry education programs, and give trees to students and families to plant at home.
“We appreciate our partnership with the school district,” Gorby reveals. “School yards are an area we don’t normally have access to for increasing our canopy cover, so this opportunity was beneficial for both SD43 and the Tree Spree program.”
The City partnered with roughly 10 schools and offered programs tailored to the specific institutions' interests, emphasizing student education on the importance of trees and tree planting.
"There's no better way to foster stewardship than by having someone actually plant a tree," Gorby explains. "The students who planted those trees are going to care about them and watch them grow. They're going to understand why it's important to have that tree in the schoolyard and in the community."
In addition to its school partnerships, the City also held 80 different pop-up events throughout Coquitlam. These initiatives included giving away thousands of trees, holding tree planting block parties, holding arborist-led tree walks, and educating the public about the benefits of trees, the best location and techniques for tree planting, and the maintenance required.
Increasing Coquitlam’s tree canopy has been one of the City’s responses to the increasing threat of climate change.
“Over the past couple of years, climate change has touched all of our lives, with extreme weather events and devastating floods and wildfires,” Gorby describes.
“An urban forest plays a really important role in protecting the community against the impacts of climate change by shading urban areas and intercepting storm water.”
Trees play a significant role in cooling the City, as access to shaded areas is critical for physical comfort and to keep homes cooler. Trees also slow down rainfall events. Rain is first absorbed by the tree canopy and the soil instead of immediately hitting the pavement, which can increase the risk of flooding.
Providing many environmental benefits, trees reduce carbon dioxide, improve air quality, reduce rainwater runoff, prevent erosion and provide wildlife habitat. Healthy trees provide shade and privacy, and block wind.
Coquitlam’s trees offer several benefits for residents’ health and well-being. Studies have shown that spending time among trees reduces stress and fatigue and improves quality of life.
Trees also make our city beautiful and contribute to community pride.
On top of all these advantages, there is also an economic benefit; tree-lined commercial streets are known to attract shoppers, and increase property values.
Thanks to a successful rollout, the Tree Spree program will continue in 2023, with increased tree planting and giveaways, public education sessions, tree walks, and a continued partnership with School District 43.
“We’d really like to make sure the tree planting we do is meaningful and will be long-lasting,” Gorby says.
To get involved today and get the latest program updates, visit coquitlam.ca/TreeSpree.
