Saving sugar maples

By Sara Ross, Orillia Packet & Times

While Oro-Medonte’s century-old sugar maples continue to decline, Bruce Keeling’s native sugar maples — planted four years ago — continue to flourish.

“We have a couple on our front lawn that we put in and one of them is over 20 feet tall,” Keeling said. “That was one that went in about four or five years ago. It makes quite a difference, really.”

In 2007, in an effort to replace the dying sugar maples, the Huronia Woodland Owners’ Association began selling the trees at a subsidized rate.

Since then, 13,800 sugar maples have been planted under the association’s Maple Tree Replacement Project.

“It crept up on us,” Keeling said of the figure. “(We gave away) 1,500 one year, 2,300 another year and now 13,800. That’s pretty darn good.”

Keeling, chair of the tree committee, said the association has given trees to residents in Simcoe County, Muskoka and even Ottawa.

“We have expanded the program quite a bit,” he said.

This year, flyers promoting the program will be sent to every farm in Simcoe County.

The Huronia Woodland Owners’ Association gets its trees from Maple Leaves Forever, a charitable foundation that provides native maple saplings on a shared-cost basis.

This year, the association received a $5,000 grant from Maple Leaves Forever “to help us continue this,” Keeling said.

The program is subsidized by the County of Simcoe and the Dufferin South Simcoe Land Stewardship Network.

Trees sold as part of the Maple Tree Replacement Project are five to seven years old and four to six feet tall. All sugar maples, except potted trees, are sold bare root.

Trees planted along roadways and laneways are available at the subsidized rate of $10. Trees for random planting cost $12 and potted sugar maples cost $15.

“These trees would actually cost you anywhere from $20 to $25 at a nursery,” Keeling said.

Tree orders will be accepted until April 15. Trees are distributed toward the end of April at the Oro-Medonte Fairgrounds.

For more information, call Keeling at 705-487-3970 or visit huroniawoodlandowners.ca.