Kingsville residents logging trees for coverage map

Sugar Maple tree leaf. (Source: Upper Thames River Conservation Authority)

A public map of tree coverage in Kingsville is nearing a milestone.

As part of a “Rooted in Kingsville” contest which began six-weeks ago, 3,200 trees on municipal property have been charted.

Volunteers have been taught how to insert data into a mobile app with information such as the kind, size, condition and location.

The goal is to present the completed map to town council in July so officials can use it for better tree planting and tree management.

Strong Towns Kingsville local leader Chad Nantais says he’s hoping the information will lead to better tree management.

“People know Essex County’s forest cover is extremely low, somewhere between 3-5% as compared to London or Waterloo which are hovering around 30%,” says Nantais.

Nantais adds tree coverage is low because of poor management practices.

“Planting too many of the same species of tree together and that’s why the Emerald Ash Borer was able to take out so many ash trees around here so this map will allow the town to plan better as far as species diversification so we can have long-term resilience and we don’t have to cut down so many trees,” says Nantais.

He says he’s also thrilled with the response.

“Windsor also has a Strong Towns chapter and they did the same 6-week contest a year ago and they did 6,000 trees and I figured Kingsville is one-sixth the population of Windsor so if we did 1,000 trees that’ll be good but we are now passed 3,200 trees so Kingsville really showed up,” he says.

One of the contest participants is a mother who logged over 1,000 trees while pushing her baby daughter in a stroller on walks.

Prizes to the top mappers will be handed out at Colasanti’s Tropical Gardens on July 4th at 10 a.m.