Club to plant trees

Join us on Friday May 1, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the greenhouse (N Building) and be part of the Ontario Plant a Tree Challenge by planting trees at the Fanshawe College Campus.

Organized by the Franconnection student club and supported by the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Horticulture Technician and the Biotechnology Degree programs at Fanshawe, this event is an opportunity for you to get involved in the college community and help contribute to the environment.

There are a number of advantages to planting trees, some include but are not limited to:

- Phytoremediation, which is the treatment of environmental problems using plants, can be utilized to degrade, eliminate or contain pesticides, metals or solvents by depolluting contaminated water, soils or air.

- When ecosystems degrade, the ecological linkages and connections between species or populations are broken leading to ecological imbalance. Trees serve in the restoration of ecosystems by providing natural habitat for birds, insects, small animals and other interdependent species.

- Most trees process carbon dioxide and release oxygen, thus cleaning the air we breathe. One fully-grown tree can absorb carbon dioxide at a speed of more than 45 lbs per year while emitting enough oxygen to provide for two human beings.

- Trees allow more recharging of the ground water supply by reducing runoffs and erosions and thus helping to improve water quality. Moreover, wooded areas help prevent the transport of chemicals and sediment into the water stream.

- Trees contribute to the aesthetics of a landscape while providing shade from the sun and shelter from wind and rain.

- Research at the Texas A&M University has shown that visual exposure to settings with trees has helped in the quick recovery from stress, as indicated by changes in muscle tension and blood pressure.

Planting trees is beneficial to the environment as whole. We look forward to seeing you on May 1.

For more information about the event, contact us at Fraconnection@gmail.com or refer to the posters that are posted around the campus.