Message to Pemba – Global tree planting day from Community Forests International on Vimeo.
News Blast!
Despite the wet weather in Sackville on Saturday, volunteers came out to help launch our Global Tree-Planting campaign. After a short demonstration at Sackville’s Community Garden, volunteers split into groups and were led by CFI staffers through an afternoon of tree planting. A beautiful butternut grove was planted at Beech Hill Park and Sackville’s downtown was greened with sugar maples, red maples, butternuts, and black cherry trees.
While volunteers planted under cloud cover on this side of the world, Tanzanian school children, led by the staffers of CFI’s sister organization, planted trees in the Pemban sunshine. All in all, May 28 was a great success! A huge thank-you goes out to all our volunteers, both in Sackville and on Pemba.
But the weekend didn’t end with the Global Tree-Planting campaign. On Sunday, we launched our annual Summer Workshop series. Our first speaker was David Smith, founder of Save a Plant. Making use of our new outdoor classroom at the Sackville Community Garden, David led a group through the ins and outs of plant propagation. After discussing how to harvest seeds from the wild and how to clone and grow plants from cuttings, David walked the group of participants into CFI’s ‘food forest‘ for some hands-on demos.
The next workshop, Designing and Growing a Food Forest, takes place on June 11-12th. Be sure to check our News page and the Projects tab for details, updates and registration information for all our upcoming workshops. Tell your friends and enjoy the sun!
CFI Public Lecture – Thursday May 19th – 7:00 pm
When: Thursday, May 19th – 7:00pm
Where: Tantramar Civic Centre
Jeff Schnurr, Sackville native and Executive Director of Community Forests International (CFI) will be sharing his experiences from a recent trip to Pemba, Tanzania at the Tantramar Civic Centre this weekk. The lecture will explore community led tree planting initiatives in Tanzania, and a new global tree planting initiative launching in Sackville on May 28th..
Photo Contest – Send Us Your Forest Moment!
In order to kick off an exciting spring of CFI programming on the East Coast Community Forests International is organizing a global tree planting day. On Saturday, May 28th individuals and community groups in Canada, Tanzania and Uganda will plant trees in an effort to combat Global Climate Change and benefit their local environments. Click HERE for details.
In coordination with the May 28th planting date we are asking you to capture your favorite forest moment and tell us what preserving our natural resources means to you. The winner will receive a $100 gift certificate from Mountain Equipment Coop! Click HERE to see current submissions or visit our Facebook page.
Photo Submission: Simply email the following information to: contest@forestsinternational.org …
- Name:
- Address:
- Phone Number:
- Photo:
(Note – please limit photos size)
Also, Please answer the Following Questions:
- Brief summary (1-3 sentences) explaining why preserving forest lands is important to you?
- Where the picture was taken? (ex. Sackville, NB or Cumberland County, NS)
- Would you like to be put on the Community Forests International Mailing List?
- Would you like to be put on the Community Forests International Volunteer List (Sackville Area)?
Deadline: Tuesday June 21st 2011 … The First Day of Summer!
Prize: $100 gift certificate from Mountain Equipment Co-op!
The Runner up will receive a CFI T-Shirt!
Voting: Photos will be posted on the CFI Facebook page, simply “Like” the photo of your choice to vote! You may vote as often as you like. For those without facebook accounts votes can be emailed to contest@forestsinternational.org
Contest Rules:
- Contestant must be a Canadian Resident;
- photos must be original works and the sole property of the owner;
- by submitting permission is given to Community Forests International to publish the photo, as well as your name.
- Community Forests International Staff and Family Members are encouraged to participate but cannot win the prize.
Raising Native Plant Workshop on May 29th
As part of our Summer Workshop Series, Community Forests International is hosting a workshop on raising native Acadian Forest plants. David Smith, founder of Save a Plant, will lead this afternoon session, guiding participants through the processes of identifying plants and trees that are indigenous to the Acadian Forest and raising these plants from seed or cuttings for personal use. Held in CFI’s newly constructed outdoor classroom, participants will be invited to put their seedling propagation and care techniques to use throughout the workshop. Instructor: David Smith, O.D.H. Founder of Save a Plant This afternoon workshop session is
Raising native Acadian Forest plants for home-scale landscaping – May 29, Sackville, NB
Date: Sunday May 29th, 1-3pm
Location: Sackville Community Garden, Sackville, NB
Participants will also benefit from David’s knowledge and enthusiasm for native plant landscaping. While amateur landscapers often look to exotic species to liven up their yards and community green spaces, indigenous plants are often overlooked for their aesthetic value. Over the course of the afternoon, participants will not only learn about growing and caring for native plants, but also how best to harness the aesthetic quality of Acadian Forest plants.
Volunteer Day at CFI’s Food Forest Gardens
Community Forests International spent Saturday at the Sackville Community Garden preparing our food forests gardens for the summer. A group of volunteers came out to learn about the garden, help with the weeding, apply straw mulch, touch up our outdoor classroom with wood treatment, and install the garden’s composting toilet. It was a fun and relaxing day that ended just before the rain.
Working hard in the Native Forest Garden
Weeding the garden beds
Spreading straw mulch
Installing the composting toilet
Thanks to everyone who came out! There is still work to be done so be sure to catch our next volunteer day coming soon.
Bloodroot in flower - Wild Ginger on its way!
© 2011 Community Forests International. All Rights Reserved. Contact CFI at (506) 536-3738 or info@forestsinternational.org