NIAGARA COLLEGE AND NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE
Chautauqua Oaks Project Plants the Seeds of a Bright Future for Heritage Oaks

The future is looking bright for the distinctive tree canopy covering Niagara-on-the-Lake's Chautauqua neighbourhood, thanks to the combined efforts of a small group of community volunteers, the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, and Niagara College.

Concern over the increased thinning of the heritage tree canopy led to the creation of The Chautauqua Oaks Project. This resident-driven project has, in just four years,

completed a tree inventory, developed a community tree plan, and began replanting their disappearing tree canopy. To date, The Project has planted 80 of the planned 400 trees needed to rejuvenate the urban forest.

When the College's School of Environment and Horticulture joined the project, several new opportunities arose. Since Fall of 2018 Niagara College students have been harvesting acorns from Chautauqua's heritage oak trees.  At the College's Niagara on the Lake Campus these acorns are then germinated and nurtured to produce crops of future "ChautauquaOaks" to be used for The Project's replanting program.

"Partnering with The Chautauqua Oaks Project has opened up countless applied learning opportunities for our students, who are getting real-work experience in the preservation and restoration of our natural ecosystems," said Al Unwin, Niagara College's Associate Dean of Environment and Horticulture. "It also demonstrates the benefits that can arise when residents, government and post-secondary institutions work together."

At a special event at Chautauqua's Ryerson Park on October 1, Leslie Frankish, founder of The Chautauqua Oaks Project recognized the remarkable outcome of this unique collaboration by presenting Acorn Awards' to all those "who helped make a forest grow."

"The Project's remarkable success has been achieved through combined efforts," said Frankish. "There is a saying: "From unassuming acorns, mighty oaks will grow."  They certainly do so, if provided sustenance. Similarly, the vision of the Project was like an acorn, a seed planted, and providentially, it was continually sustained by many acts of kindness and support by resident volunteers, town staff and college faculty. Each in of themselves may have been unassuming but collectively, an astonishing outcome is possible - a forest will rise!"

And that forest will be shared. "Replanting with the homegrown offspring of our heritage trees is a rare, remarkable opportunity for the restoration of a heritage urban forest," said Frankish. "On behalf of The Chautauqua Oaks Project and Niagara College, we would like to share the benefits of our endeavour by gifting crops of ChautauquaOaks' to the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, annually and in perpetuity."

As a symbol of this gift, the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake's Lord Mayor Betty Disero was presented with the first three ChautauquaOaks' grown at the College.

"The natural grandeur and beauty of the Oaks from Chautauqua is a stunning contribution that will help maintain the epic scale of the heritage tree canopy in Niagara-on-the-Lake," stated Lord Mayor Disero. "Many thanks to Niagara College and The Chautauqua Oaks Project for this remarkable gift."

More information on The Chautauqua Oaks Project can be found at www.mychautauqua.ca.