A tree rooted at the edge of Oak Bay stands in testament to the longstanding tree cover in Oak Bay.
A much-visited tree, cared for by the district to aid in longevity, the 400-year-old Garry oak has been there since long before the idea of urban forests even existed.
The urban forest refers to all trees within the municipal boundary, regardless of land use type or ownership and includes trees along Oak Bay's boulevards, private yards and natural areas. The urban forest also includes understory plants, soil, air, micro-organisms and the wildlife it attracts.
But it’s exactly the reason people should pay attention, says parks manager Chris Hyde-Lay, who figures the Falklands Road tree is the oldest in the CRD.
“One of the reasons that we have Tree Appreciation Day is because Oak Bay is really dealing with a mature, to over-mature, urban forest and it’s so important to have urban forest renewal both on public land and on private land too,” Hyde-Lay said.
Oak Bay Parks, Recreation and Culture hosts its annual Tree Appreciation Day on Nov. 3 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the entrance to Cattle Point.
Hosted with the Friends of Uplands Park, the day aims to be both educational and fun, with tree planting and pruning as well as wintermoth banding demonstrations; a community tree walk hosted by tree expert Ron Carter and an Uplands Park tour led by Wylie Thomas.
Oak Bay staff will be on hand to answer tree questions – and talk about its free tree program.
“The uptake has been negligible but I think that’s partly us not getting the word out well enough so we’re going to give it a bit of a push this year with Tree Appreciation Day,” Hyde-Lay said.
The Oak Bay Urban Forest Management Strategy establishes a shared vision for the future of the community’s urban forest and defines measurable targets for achieving this vision. The focus of the strategies next five years will be continued efforts to meet the tree planting target goals for the urban canopy which requires a focus on increasing the number of trees planted on private property.
The district hopes residents will help achieve its urban forest strategy goals – including to have 40 per cent canopy cover by 2045.
“That really requires us to get about 6,000 medium to large trees on public and private land,” Hyde-Lay said. “Some people may say it’s aggressively optimistic but it’s one thing we’re going to try.”
Through public information during its Coolkit Program sessions as well as other feedback, the district heard “loud and clear” during the 2021 heat wave, how thankful people were for the cooling effect of tree cover in their neighbourhoods.
“This is what we want to keep for future generations,” Hyde-Lay said, adding the benefits and services provided by the urban forest make critical contributions to the daily quality of life and health of those who live and work in the community.
The free tree program is open to any resident and Oak Bay Parks staff offer site visits to help select the right tree. Call 250-592-7246 for questions or to schedule a visit.
