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Tree planting

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Trees growing in a polyhouse at Burford Tree Nursery

COVID-19 Alert

The GRCA continues to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation in Ontario. The health, safety and well-being of our staff, volunteers and the community remain our highest priority. Please visit our COVID-19 Update page where you will find the most up-to-date information on impacts to GRCA programs and services.

GRCA tree planting programs for landowners

The GRCA's tree planting programs are aimed at farm and rural landowners who have at least one hectare (2.5 acres) of land. 

Trees are an important part of our work to restore the natural environment. Trees and forests protect water quality in our rivers and streams. They provide habitat for birds and animals and they add to the health of our communities by purifying the air.

Three ways to buy trees from the GRCA

1. Order trees from the GRCA

Landowners residing in the Grand River watershed with more than 1 hectare (2.5 acres) of land are eligible to order trees.  Tree orders can be reserved from the beginning of October through to the end of March. Tree pick-ups occur every spring starting approximately the third week of April through to the second Wednesday in May (depending on seasonal weather conditions).

  • View the tree/shrub availability list.
  • Submit your order online here.
  • For those that prefer a hard copy, an order form can be printed off, filled out and submitted to us with your order.
  • The minimum order size is 200 seedlings or 20 saplings and/or potted stock. 
  •  A non-refundable deposit of $50 must accompany each order, otherwise the order will not be processed.


2. GRCA tree planting services

Landowners with an interest in a tree planting project and with at least two hectares (five acres) of land may be eligible for a site visit with a GRCA Forestry Specialist. A site visit with a Forestry Specialist includes:

  • A visit your property to assess potential tree planting areas
  • The creation of a custom planting plan for your property
  • Assistance applying for grants to offset the costs of tree planting projects
  • If eligible, arranging for the trees to be planted by contractors

Grants are available through funding programs, such as, the Forests Ontario - 50 Million Tree Program and the Rural Water Quality Program (RWQP). Grant rates vary from county to county and for different types of projects. For more information about the RWQP, visit the Landowner grants page.

GRCA’s tree planting program is geared towards large scale tree planting projects, farm windbreak plantings and riparian buffers. For seedling projects, this means a minimum quantity of 1000 trees, and for tall stock projects (saplings and/or potted stock) a minimum quantity of 50 trees. Landscaping projects or sites requiring a small quantity of trees are not eligible for this program.

If you are interested in scheduling a site visit with a Forestry Specialist, please contact the team by email or call 519-621-2761 to have your name added to the waitlist. Please note: our spring 2021 planting program is now at capacity. Tree planting service requests are now being added to a spring 2022 waitlist. 


3. The annual end-of-season GRCA Tree Sale

  • Every year, on the second Friday in May (8 a.m. to noon), the GRCA holds an end-of-season tree sale. All watershed residents are welcome to purchase trees at this tree sale. Please note that due to COVID-19 this sale may be cancelled.
  • Trees that are normally available at the sale are based on cancelled orders and nursery stock overruns. This usually results in a wide variety of native trees and shrubs being available. Sizes range from small bare root and plug seedlings to potted trees and saplings. The species and price list is posted two days prior to the sale.


Tree planting fact sheets and videos

This page of Landowner resources has fact sheets, videos and other information to help you plan your project and care for your trees.


Community tree groups and planting events

There are community groups dedicated to promoting tree planting in several parts of the Grand River watershed. The GRCA works with these groups to promote tree planting and hold planting events. You can also check our events calendar for tree planting events.


Support our tree planting program

If you would like to support our tree-planting program, you can donate as little as $30 to the Grand River Conservation Foundation. Go to the Foundation section of our website for details.

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