Getting to roots of the community
It isn’t the main purpose, perhaps, but the City of Kitchener is offering a terrific antidote to a modern malaise by inviting residents to pitch in and water young trees planted in front of their homes to replace those lost to the invasive emerald ash borer.
In a world roiling with terror and tragedy, civil unrest and civil war, it is easy to slip into a sense of helplessness, to forget that ordinary individuals can still make a difference despite the magnitude of problems beyond their immediate control.
It need not be a grand, heroic effort. It need not be much effort at all. The point is doing something positive, however modest, and letting it pick up steam one block, one neighbourhood, one community at a time.
This call for volunteers — made by city officials battling time and budget constraints as well as a beetle expected to have killed 5,000 ash trees by next year — is a small but wonderfully tangible way to help that happen.
All it takes, apparently, is the willingness to fill a green watering bag installed at the base of each of the 1,000 new trees planted on boulevards and other city-owned land each year as a key part of the effort to keep Kitchener green.
That means hauling out a garden hose for a few minutes at least once a week for the crucial first two years after a tree has been planted, with the annual cost of water per tree estimated at just $10.
The bags are designed to release the right amount of water over several hours, reducing waste and maximizing root growth so the tree gets a good start on its way to maturity in two or three decades.
As residents step up to tend trees near their properties, either by formally registering via telephone or email, or attaching a blue ribbon sent out with flyers promoting the program, city crews can cross them off their to-do list. The goal is a participation rate of up to 60 per cent.
For a practically painless investment, meanwhile, the payoff for volunteers should eventually include nicer, homier, cooler neighbourhoods, better air to breathe and the sense of satisfaction that comes with doing your bit for a worthwhile cause.
While it won’t bring world peace, it will make one city a little better place by reaching the roots of civic engagement, fostering growth and making communities healthier as well.