FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oak Bay Parks, Recreation & Culture partners with the Community Association of Oak Bay to Sponsor “Grow the Oaks in Oak Bay” Campaign

Oak Bay Parks, Recreation & Culture and the Community Association of Oak Bay are pleased to announce their partnership in launching the “Grow the Oaks in Oak Bay” campaign to encourage and support Oak Bay residents in planting native Garry oak trees in their home gardens.

This campaign aims to achieve the goals outlined in the Urban Forest Management Plan, which was adopted by Oak Bay Council in 2017. The Plan aims to plant 1,400 new trees on public land and work with residents and institutions to plant 5,000 new trees on private property.

The “Grow the Oaks in Oak Bay” program will provide healthy Garry oak saplings ready for planting, as well as instructions, advice and supplies for successful growth.

The trees will be available to residents for $100 per tree, with the first 50 trees being offered at $50 each. The contributions raised through this program will be matched by the Community Association of Oak Bay’s Jill Croft Memorial Urban Forest Legacy Fund.

Oak Bay Parks has access to Garry oak saplings ready to plant and all funds raised through the program will be used to acquire and plant trees throughout the community. Trees will be available on and after Tree Appreciation Day, which takes place on November 3, 2019.

Garry oaks are native to Oak Bay and deeply rooted within the community, even evident in the motto for the District of Oak Bay “Sub quercu Felicitas,” which means “happiness under the oaks”. 

Oak Bay has the largest urban population of Garry oaks in Canada, but the existing population is in need of regeneration through successor planting.  Garry oaks are resilient trees, having flourished here for 7000 years, and are well suited to current and expected climate conditions. They provide excellent canopy, ecological and other benefits.

Donations to the Jill Croft Memorial Urban Forest Legacy fund may be made to the Community Association of Oak Bay at www.caob.ca or by contacting oakbayconnector@gmail.com.

Information about how to order trees for home planting is be available on the District of Oak Bay website. 

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Media contacts:

The District of Oak Bay
Chris Hyde-Lay
250-592-7275
chyde-lay@oakbay.ca

Community Association of Oak Bay
Rick Marshall
778-533-7425
ricksmarshall@shaw.ca

Tom Croft
250-727-1318
tomcroft@telus.net