Tree Clean Up – this Saturday on the Halifax Waterfront

Picture courtesy of HRM on Facebook

Fund-raising, Tree Clean-up Project on the Halifax Waterfront

A team of professional arborists will provide some TLC to Halifax waterfront trees this Saturday, April 16 as part of a fundraising effort for an international competition.
The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) – Atlantic Chapter chose the high profile waterfront as their venue for this year’s fundraising  and approached Waterfront Development Corporation about the idea. The partnership benefits both organizations.
Landscaping is a key component of the Corporation’s annual preparation for the busy summer season on the Halifax waterfront and this was an opportunity to support efforts to showcase Atlantic talent internationally.  The group of experienced arborists in turn will provide top quality services at a reduced rate. These funds will help send their current Atlantic Tree climbing champion Joey Peters to the International Arboriculture Society’s annual conference and International World Tree Climbing Championship in Sydney, Australia this coming July.
Team members have donated time and equipment at minimal costs for this special fund raising event.  The volunteers will work in four-hour segments, starting at 8:00 a.m. until approximately 5:00 p.m. It’s also an opportunity for members to demonstrate their tree climbing skills and expertise to the public. Many of the trees have not had any maintenance since being planted in the late 70’s and early 80’s.
The team consists of five firms; Halifax based All Green Tree Care, Treeworks Ltd., and Arbor Plant Health Care and two from Annapolis Valley — Maritime Landscape Services and Environova Planning Group. They will be complemented by several members from the HRM Urban Forestry staff and individual member volunteers.

The work will focus on five waterfront areas — Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Sackville Landing, Summit Building, raised planters around Foundation Place, and the Salter Street trees on both sides. The clean up includes removal of deadwood, diseased branches, raising of canopies where required, pruning and thinning. All debris will be chipped on site and taken to a recycling depot.
Each year the ISA-Atlantic chapter which represents arborists from the four Atlantic provinces sends their Atlantic Tree Climbing Champion to the international competition.