Trees play a very important role in the health of a watershed. Planted along a streambank or shoreline, trees and shrubs help prevent erosion and runoff from adding pollutants and unwanted nutrients to waterways. They provide important habitat for the ecosystem, create shading for cold water streams, and help moderate the impacts of climate change.

Through NBMCA's Restore Your Shore Program, NBMCA helped 147 property owners plant more than 6.5 km of shorelines and streambanks with 29,000 trees, shrubs and perennials between 2015 and 2019. The Restore Your Shore program is now focused on providing education and information to property owners with regards to protecting streambanks, shorelines and wetlands through planting. Learn more about native trees and shrubs, as well as the importance of planting streambanks and shorelines, online at www.restoreyourshore.ca.

A number of volunteer organizations have championed the planting of trees throughout the watershed including Trees for Nipissing (formerly Nipissing Botanical Gardens), Heritage Gardeners, the Greater Nipissing Stewardship Council, Rotary Club, Clean Green Beautiful North Bay, Women10 Living Fit Inside Out, MNRF Stewardship Rangers, Scouts, North Bay-Parry Sound District Health Unit, Wasi Lake Property Owners, NBMCA’s Restore Your Shore, and many, many others including service clubs and school groups.

Businesses, foundations and grant programs have provided financial support and grants for many of these community tree planting programs including TD Friends of the Environment, RBC, Rona, Enbridge, Eagle Tree Services, Environment Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund and others.

These community partnerships and collaborations have been instrumental in the stewardship of tree planting programs throughout NBMCA’s watershed.

Tree Nurseries

In 2004, the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority permitted use of its land along Chippewa Creek for the planting of two tree nurseries. Native tree and shrub seedlings were planted by community volunteers who had a vision for improving the urban tree canopy in North Bay to make it a park-like City.

The volunteers who championed the nurseries are associated with Trees for Nipissing, a grassroots organization that began in 2004, with the planting of the nurseries. Formerly known as Nipissing Botanical Gardens, they had their beginnings with Heritage Gardeners.

Most of the trees and shrubs planted in the original 2004 planting were eventually installed in the Community Waterfront Park along Lake Nipissing and near Discovery North Bay Museum by community volunteers.

Since then the nurseries have grown. The starter nursery has expanded. And thousands of trees and shrubs have made their way onto public lands.

The two nurseries are located on the Chippewa Creek Eco Path (www.chippewaecopath.ca). One on Hammond St and the other, called the Nipissing Starter Nursery, with raised boxes designed for accessibility, is located along the Chippewa Creek EcoPath between First and Second Avenues.

The tree nurseries are now operated and maintained by way of an agreement between the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority and Trees for Nipissing.