The Municipality of Middlesex Centre is receiving $59,600 in funding through the Ontario Community Environment Fund for a project aimed at enhancing Medway Creek through community tree planting.
The funding is part of an Ontario government investment of nearly $3 million supporting 26 community-led projects focused on protecting the province’s air, land and water.
Middlesex Centre is partnering with the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority and Friends of Medway Creek on the project, which will restore riparian areas along Medway Creek by planting native trees and involving residents in environmental stewardship activities.
The project will include at least eight community tree planting events and the planting of a minimum of 1,800 native trees. Students, volunteers and other community members will also have opportunities to participate in stewardship activities.
Officials say the project will increase native tree cover, help stabilize streambanks, improve water quality and strengthen habitat connections throughout the Thames River watershed.
“Our government is proud to support Middlesex Centre and its partners in their efforts to restore habitat along
Medway Creek and strengthen the health of the Thames River watershed,” said Todd McCarthy, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “Through the Ontario Community Environment Fund, we are reinvesting money collected from environmental penalties to help preserve this important natural area for future generations.”
“Protecting and enhancing our natural environment is an investment in the future of our community,” said Mayor Aina DeViet. “This funding will create meaningful, hands-on opportunities for students and volunteers to contribute to the health of Medway Creek while helping to build a greener and more resilient Middlesex Centre. We thank the Government of Ontario and our partners at the UTRCA for making this important project possible.”
Written by: C. Soares
