Dear editor:

This fall, the Chautauqua Residents Association unveiled a sculpture in Chautauqua Park recognizing the Chautauqua Oaks Project’s work in reforesting the neighbourhood’s treasured, but dwindling, tree canopy (Oct. 24, “Honouring the oaks, and the hands that planted them, at Chautauqua Park,” The Lake Report).

We are very thankful for the honour.

We are also deeply grateful for the awareness the sculpture will draw to the 500+ oak trees we planted, 165 of them in Chautauqua — one for every existing magnificent heritage oak still standing.

As these new oaks will live for hundreds of years, this awareness will help maintain a stewardship state of mind in the community for many, many decades to come.

The project’s success was the result of many, many kind and caring volunteers.

We would like to recognize some particularly generous individuals who contributed to the establishment of the project:

JB Hopkins (tree expertise), Betty Desiro (town support), Ruth Denyer (major patronage), Shauna Dickson (website construction), Dan Patterson, Alan Unwin (Niagara College partnership) and especially Mary Jane Clark, who oversaw the growing of a future oak forest from our very own heritage acorns.

Once up and running, the project provided an outlet for members of the community keen to help ensure there will be a magnificent, epic tree canopy for future generations.

We are thankful to the countless volunteers who pitched in with:
acorn harvesting, seedling nurturing, sapling rescuing, tree planting, tree watering, inventory recording, neighbourhood canvassing, locates arranging, tree fund donating, support letter writing, as well as the 93 households that welcomed our trees into their gardens.

And of course, we are thankful for the existing heritage oaks of Chautauqua for providing us with such joy … and all the glorious acorns that allowed us to plant their next generation.

P.S. We would also like to commend the residents embarking on efforts to prevent unnecessary tree removal.

To anyone looking for a way to help preserve the distinct nature of the great Chautauqua tree canopy, please visit chautauquaoaksproject.ca for the list of recommended trees to plant.

With gratitude:

Leslie Frankish & Holmes Hooke (The Chautauqua Oaks Project)
NOTL