Charlottetown's forestry team fights for funding as 2 Billion Trees Program faces uncertain future

Taylor Dall explains volunteers the tree planting process for the Tree Planting event held at Marysfield Park, Charlottetown, on Sept. 28. The event was part of the 2 Billion Trees Program initiative aimed to help reforest P.E.I. - Judith Mendiolea

Taylor Dall’s earliest memories are rooted in the natural world. 

As a young boy, his mother, a school bus driver, would sometimes reward him after her shift by taking him and his brother to the bus depot. 

There, beyond the line of parked buses, a river meandered quietly. The riverbank became their playground.

Taylor would reach for all the fish, bugs crayfish and frogs. 

It was there that his love for nature was born. 

Nearly two decades later, Dall found himself back at the same river. This time, he was guiding students and young children through nature, teaching them about the creatures that had once captured his curiosity.  

Today, Dall is Charlottetown’s Urban Forest Co-ordinator, a key player in the city’s efforts within Canada’s 2 Billion Trees Program, a national initiative aimed at replenishing forests. 

Taylor Dall, left, and Simon Wilmot organized the Tree Planting event held at Marysfield Park, Charlottetown on Sept. 28. - Judith Mendiolea

Until now, the program had received both provincial and federal funding. But provincial funding is set to be cut for next year’s efforts.

"The province has clarified that municipal urban forestry does not fall under their mandate. Then it doesn't make sense for them to fund us," Dall said.

“Anytime you lose funding, it’s a bit disheartening,” Dall said regarding the report they presented before Charlottetown’s Standing Committee on Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability on Oct. 04. “I think that it painted a good picture of the confusion and the hardship that is being experienced by my team.”

The City of Charlottetown’s forestry team, besides having to address the damage caused by Hurricane Fiona, now faces an uphill battle to find alternative financial support.

“It’s a bit of a blow to us. We’re planting three to four times as many trees as before, but it’s still not enough,” said Simon Wilmot, Forest and Environmental Officer. 

"We’re currently planting less than half of what we need to do. So it's quite the monumental effort we're trying to put forward and we need to secure funding from everywhere."

The provincial arm of the 2 Billion Tree Program was an essential financial lifeline. 

On Sept. 28, there was a Tree Planting event held at Marysfield Park, Charlottetown organized by the city. The event was part of the 2 Billion Trees Program initiative aimed to help reforest P.E.I. More than 40 volunteers showed up. - Judith Mendiolea

Wilmot is seeking alternative funding from sources like the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), Tree Canada, and other federal and non-governmental grants.

But securing these funds isn’t guaranteed. 

The reality is, they’re competing for grants that everyone else in Canada is also applying for. 

“We’ll apply for funding from Tree Canada and other organizations, but it’s always one of the greatest challenges in conservation is securing funds,” said Wilmot.

Charlottetown’s urban canopy serves as critical green infrastructure, reducing stormwater runoff, lowering the urban heat island effect, and enhancing air quality. 

In the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona, which destroyed large swaths of trees, the importance of reforestation has become clearer than ever. 

"We’re planting three to four times as many trees, but it’s still only half of what’s needed to restore the canopy to the pre-Fiona levels,” Wilmot said. 

Simon Wilmon, Forest and Environmental Officer of the City of Charlottetown, leads a volunteering planting event at Marysfield Park last Saturday Sept. 28. This activity was to celebrate National Tree Day and it's part of the 2 Billion Trees Program which aims to reforest the island. More than 30 volunteers gathered. - Judith Mendiolea

Currently, the forestry department has fewer than 10 staff members managing the city’s reforestation efforts, a number that’s insufficient given the magnitude of the task. That’s why volunteers are crucial.

The city has ramped up efforts to engage the community, hosting tree-planting events to make up for their limited manpower. 

On September 28, they saw dozens of residents pitching in to help. 

Chandler Martin, a volunteer, described it as a rewarding experience. 

“Seeing people come together to achieve a common goal is very inspiring,” he said. “It was great to help out and see so many others doing their part to help the island thrive.”

“When we plant a tree in a Parkland, we do own that tree. We own responsibility over it,” Dall said. “Those trees will live hundreds of years. They need to survive generations of people, government, councils and development around the city, climate change.

“They're going to need people in their corner to defend them, to take care of them.

“If you were six years old and you planted a tree planting with your grandma, as we saw in (the Sept. 28 event), and someone says,  'I want to cut down all those trees', I think you're going to take personal interest in that. You're not going to look the other way quite so easily.”

Many volunteers took part of the planting event on Sept. 28. - Judith Mendiolea

However, as helpful as volunteer efforts are, they won’t be enough to sustain the city’s long-term reforestation goals if grant funding falls through. 

If the city fails to secure sufficient funding, it will face a much longer recovery period, delaying critical environmental restoration projects that could affect the island’s overall ecosystem.

“(Trees) produce oxygen. Their root systems, affect erosion control. They provide habitat and food sources for animals. So when you remove them, it can have a cascading effect,” Dall said.

Chandler Martin was one of many volunteers that gathered to plant trees at at Marysfield Park last Saturday Sept. 28. This activity was to celebrate National Tree Day and it's part of the 2 Billion Trees Program which aims to reforest the island.