Trees being given away today

Whether you are trying to spruce up your environment or are pining for the perfect maple, the Kahnawake Environment Protection Office (KEPO) might have what you are looking for.

Indeed, today, Friday, is KEPO’s annual tree giveaway, being held at the KEPO grounds by the Kahnawake Sports Complex. The giveaway will begin at 10 a.m. and last until 3 p.m. or until KEPO runs out of trees.

Each household in the community can choose up to five trees from the almost 1,000 that have been provided by the provincial Ministry of Forests, Fauna, and Parks and distributed by the 4-H Clubs of Quebec.

The types of trees available are the red pine (Onehtó:ia), the white pine (Ohnehta’kó:wa), the sugar maple (Wáhta), the yellow birch (Tsohtsó:ron), and the white spruce (O’só:ra).

“One of the key goals of the Environment Protection Office is to foster environment stewardship and environmental protection. Planting trees is a really easy way for community members to get involved and make a difference in the environment,” said Timothy Law, KEPO’s general manager of environment protection.

“Trees provide wide diversity services, including providing shade. The trees that we’re providing, like the sugar maple, are also important culturally.”

In a change from previous years, the tree giveaway will not be a drive-through setup. Instead, kiosks will be on site to give information on KEPO’s other projects, and the Waste Management Unit will also be giving away compost and mulch for trees.

“People should feel free to come and chat, or if you want to just come for a tree, that is totally okay as well,” said Law.

Those coming to collect trees should bring something to carry them back in, like a bag or a bucket, said Law.

KEPO has also provided planting tips on their social media for each of the five tree species that are being given away.

“I would really recommend taking a look at those, because they have a description about the best habitat that they grow in that can help for people who are trying to figure out which trees to select and plant,” said Law.

For example, red pines need sun and space to grow well and do best in the countryside, away from pollution, but are otherwise capable of growing in a wide variety of soils; sugar maples do best in rich, moist soils, and grow very large roots, so they need the room.

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