Reconciliation Community Tree Plant at Six Nations Honours Ecological Restoration

On September 30th, Kayanase staff and their families gathered for a socially distanced Reconciliation Community Tree Plant (RCTP) at Kayanase Greenhouse, located in the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve.

Focused around education, awareness, and environmental stewardship, the event acted as a platform to honour the intersection between forest restoration and reconciliation. In total, 150 trees were planted.

“Forests Ontario is honoured to have had the opportunity to be a part of this RCTP event,” said Rob Keen, CEO of Forests Ontario and a Registered Professional Forester. “This event was so much more than just getting trees in the ground; rather, it stimulated cross-cultural dialogue and acted as a critical step forward in the journey of reconciliation. It is my hope that Forests Ontario can continue to provide an opportunity for multigenerational participation for Six Nations community members.”

Kayanase is a greenhouse, ecological restoration, and eco-tourism company specializing in native seed and plant services. Their organization is committed to restoring ‘Mother Earth’ holistically through science-based approaches and Traditional Ecological Knowledge.

This event also acted as a kick-off for the development of an educational video, which will act as a storytelling tool to share and promote the work of Kayanase as well as the importance of trees and tree planting.

“Forests Ontario extends many thanks to TD Bank Group, the founding sponsor of the RCTP program, as well as to Enbridge Gas, and Rogers Communications for making this event possible,” Keen noted.

This event was planned and hosted in collaboration by Kayanase, Grand River Employment and Training Inc., and Forests Ontario.