The Halifax Regional Municipality is giving away 1,000 trees to residents. – SUPPLIED BY HRMArticle contentThe Halifax Regional Municipality will give away 1,000 trees to residents before the end of the month.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentAs part of the city’s ongoing urban forestry program, 500 trees are available Aug. 22, and 500 more are up for grabs Aug. 29. Online registration opens at noon Thursday, and it’s on a “first come, first served” basis.Article contentArticle contentThere is a limit of one tree per household.Article contentThe goal of the program is to revive HRM’s canopy, which shrunk by 11 per cent between 2000 and 2022. The natural benefits of a green city are well documented, ranging from reducing air pollution to temperature management.Article contentArticle content Contractors plant an oak tree in the Cogswell District in Halifax, July 6. Photo by Tim Krochak /Chronicle HeraldArticle contentOther positives listed by HRM include “reducing stormwater runoff, removing atmospheric carbon, providing habitat for migratory birds and urban wildlife, improving physical and psychological well-being, contributing to energy savings by providing shade in the summer and blocking wind in the winter, providing a visual screen and reducing noise pollution, and contributing to energy savings by providing shade in the summer and blocking wind in the winter.”Article contentOne novel upside cited by HRM is the introduction of fruit trees “to contribute to food security.” Among the 13 species being offered are pear, peach and apple trees.Article contentAlso being given away are red oak, red maple, sugar maple, yellow birch, serviceberry, burr oak, Kentucky coffee, catalpa, metasequoia, star magnolia and tulip trees. The saplings are well-developed at 1.25-1.5 metres tall and come in an 11-litre pot.Article content Students read under a tree at King’s College in Halifax in this file photo. – SALTWIRE FILEArticle contentThe pickup location is 3800 Mackintosh St. in Halifax. Residents who don’t have a car will be permitted to bring trees on Halifax Transit buses and ferries.Article contentArticle contentThe program is connected to the broader 2020 HaliFACT climate action plan, which includes a mission statement to help the city “achieve a net-zero economy by 2050.”Article content“The HRM is a municipality of trees,” the statement read.Article content“Through the shared legacy of sustainable management, the HRM’s urban forest has been carefully woven into the fabric of our neighbourhoods over the past 25 years.Article content“Characterized by a mosaic of native inland and coastal ecosystems as well as large, mature streetscape and park trees, the benefits of our urban forest supports meaningful contributions to our health and well-being and supports the resilience of our community to the threats imposed by climate change. The protection of our urban forest and its resident biodiversity is central to our management approach and our vision for urban and rural sustainability.”Article content A front-end loader carries an oak tree across Cogswell Street in Halifax, July 6. Photo by Tim Krochak /Chronicle HeraldArticle content
Halifax giving free tree to 1,000 households on ‘first come, first served’ basis
