A NOTE FROM MARK CULLEN

It’s About the Kids.

We did it. We broke our own record and supported the planting of over 500,000 trees this spring! This includes well over 10,000 of our “Hero Trees” that are planted directly on the Highway of Heroes.

This accomplishment is the result of many hours (years, really) of work on the part of our staff. Special thanks to Mike Hurley, our Executive Director; April Stevenson, our Service Tree steward, who is responsible for planting off the Highway right of way; Forests Ontario; David Turnbull, our Hero Tree steward, who is responsible for coordinating with the MTO to plant on the highway; and countless others who support this team.

I have been reflecting on our activity this spring, and have been thinking about all of our youngster trees sitting out there, on and near the highway, just waiting for the early summer weather to provide the natural nourishment they need to put down roots and grow.

Young trees that will mature over time to provide a permanent, ecologically beneficial living memorial to the Canadians who have served and the 117,000 who died during times of war for our freedom. 

Trees, For Whom?
I ask myself, “who are we actually planting these trees for?” and the answer is right under my nose. With four young grandchildren, two of whom are still in diapers, my nose can get quite a workout. 

Our Hero Trees that we plant on the highway right of way are generally 3 or 4-year-old saplings. They stand three to six feet tall and are quite vigorous.  Like a kid recently out of diapers, these trees are raring to go. 

Our Service trees are planted off the highway and are accommodated on private land within 30km of Highway 401. These trees are 2 to 3 year old seedlings and planted in partnership with Forests Ontario and local planting agencies.

The Royal Treatment for our Hero Trees

Each tree planted directly on the Highway of Heroes, regardless of age or size gets the royal treatment. 

One of the reasons that sets our mass-plantings apart from others are the strict planting protocols that we follow, according to Vineland Research. Some years ago, this provincially funded center for innovation invested over five million dollars to figure out how to plant trees successfully in the hostile environment near and on a highway. 

The results have been a game changer. Our success rate is over 95% as we approach the halfway mark of our planting program. This is extraordinary in the history of highway tree planting. Credit goes to Dr. Darby McGrath of Vineland, who lead the research, and her team.

Credit also goes to you, our supporters. You see, when you “buy a tree” you are buying much more. You are buying the mechanical weed control and extensive soil remediation before trees are planted. You are also buying the “after-care” of each tree. We estimate that the cost of soil preparation is about 70% of the cost of planting. The tree itself is not really that expensive. Besides, in many cases members of Landscape Ontario contribute by selling us trees at a deep discount or gifting them outright. 

Off the highway, we are planting reforestation type trees. Two and three-year-old seedlings. These kinds of trees, while smaller than those planted directly on the highway, provide a cost efficient solution to help us reach our goal of planting over 1.8 million service trees off this highway and all the way along the 401 corridor.

If you have a choice, be sure to give your landscape and gardening business to a member of Landscape Ontario and be sure to thank them for their support of our campaign.

My grandchildren are running through my newly planted vegetable garden as I write this. And I don’t care because they have just reminded me why I volunteered for this job over 5 years ago. 

We plant to remember.

And we will tell our story about the meaning of these trees to the new generation. So that they can tell it to the one after that and the one after that. 

See what you have started?

With heartfelt thanks for all that you do to help us plant trees for those who have served us and died for our freedom.

Mark Cullen
Campaign Chair & Co-Founder,
Highway of Heroes Living Tribute
www.markcullen.com
www.HOHTribute.ca   

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Honour & Remembrance

Over the last month, donations were made in the names of the following individuals:

• David Grubb

• Captain Maxime Miron-Morin

• Sapper Daniel McIntyre, WW1

• Richard Cyril Jean (Rick) Trudeau

• Pvt. Andrew Johnson

• Sgt Dennis R. H. Curzon, WWII RCAF

• Samuel Ellenberg

• Christine & Paul Gould

• Nancy Campbell

• Matthew Langor

• Sgt. Jeffrey Lindsay

The Highway of Heroes Tree Campaign is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors and donors like you.