Sf_nec_08-18

Jeff Green | May 08, 2008

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Jaquie Brown, Paul Spaar and Terry Morey from the Natural Environment Committee

The South Frontenac Natural Environment Committee brought a pre-ordering system back to their tree seedling sale this year, and the results have been spectacular. Last year, with seedlings of endemic species such as white pine, jack pine, white cedar, spruce, and dogwood were sold for the reasonable price of $1.50.

This year's sale sales more than doubled. 6,500 trees were ordered in advance of last Saturday's sale and pick up date at three locations in the township (the Verona Farmer's Market, the Home Hardware in Sydenham and Sunbury Hall) and another 1,500 were sold on the day, for a total 8,000 seedlings in all.

Sale organiser Jacquie Brown attributed some of the growth to the sale being better known after last year, but also thought there was an element of growing environmental awareness to the success of the sale.

Penny Paterson, the chair of the Natural Environment Committee, was pleased with the outcome of the sale as well.

“We're really pleased because this is our major fundraiser and we're trying desperately not to cost the township any money to run our different projects,” said Paterson.

The sale will be going ahead again next year, and the committee will be trying to source more of some of the popular varieties.

“There was a lot of interest in Butternut seedlings this year, since they are threatened, but we could only get 100,” Penny Paterson said, “we hope to get a larger supply next year.”