Case Study: Trees for Bees

The Challenge

Many trees planted in urban areas often do not live to maturity.

Trees for Bees took on the challenge of bringing back habitats for the native pollinators in Barrie. Trees planted in urban areas face significant challenges that impede their growth and survival, including soil compaction, limited moisture due to improper watering, and physical damage from lawn maintenance equipment. Public parks often remove naturalized areas that are crucial for pollinators because of the perception that they look unkempt, and decide on a manicured lawn instead.

This project needed to strike a balance between improving tree health and survival by protecting the tree’s root zone and stem, as well as create a space for the pollinator plants, while also creating a visually appealing pollinator habitat.

The Solution

Trees for Bees is a Win-Win-Win!

Over a dozen members of the Barrie-Huronia Rotary Club, Living Green and Pollinate Barrie assembled to install three “Trees for Bees” pollinator pods at Batteaux Park. The pods were designed to both improve and support tree health. The pods feature a hexagonal frame that looks like wood, but are actually made of recycled plastic lumber in a turfgrass field with early spring flowers and an Ontario native tree in the center. The frames keep these natural areas contained, with clear edges and boundaries to mitigate damage from lawn maintenance.

The flowering trees are native to Ontario, and the chosen flowers are vital first-food for newly emerging pollinators like birds, bats, butterflies, bees, and other insects. With the nearby community garden, the local plants also help with growing fruits and vegetables that require pollination. The choice of flowering trees and plants were picked for people and pollinators alike to enjoy!

“The importance of planting native flowering trees and pollinator plants is to support the biodiversity local to our area.” – Lisa Zhao (of Rotary)

The Results are Extraordinary

Improved and Supported Tree Health

100% Recycled Plastic Lumber From Barrie-Based Greenwell Plastics

Visually Appealing Pollinator Habitat

Vital First-Food for Newly Emerging Pollinators

The Huronia Rotary Club would like to express their appreciation to the following donors whose, continuing, generous support has made our Christmas Hamper program possible this year.

  • BIG GLASS OPENINGS INC. – PAUL BROWN
  • bmg – GLASS * ALUMINUM – PAUL BROWN
  • BREMAR HOLDINGS – BRENT FRITH
  • C & H SHEET METAL – BRENT CAMACK
  • CANSAVE – LARRY KOZA
  • CHARLIE YOUNG
  • DUFFERIN CONSTRUCTION – GERALD SULLIVAN
  • DUSOME INSURANCE – WAYNE DUSOME
  • DV BELL FOUNDATION – DEAN AND VERONICA BELL
  • ED AND HELGA LANGE
  • ED LOWE REALTY – CATHY LOWE
  • GEORGE AND JANET LOUGHEED
  • GEORGIAN HOME COMFORT – CHRIS YANCH
  • INNISFIL AIR CONDITIONING – CHRIS LUCHKIW
  • JACKSON TOYOTA – BOB JACKSON
  • JIM McINTOSH
  • LEADING EDGE EARTHWORKS – ROB McHATTIE
  • LES BERTRAM AND SONS – GARY AND SANDRA BERTRAM
  • O’MAHONY CONCRETE FORMING – THE O’MAHONY FAMILY
  • PLUMBTECH PLUMBING – MARC BENOIT
  • ROBERT AND JOAN GILROY
  • ROBINSON HARDWARE – JIM AND JOHN ROBINSON
  • ROCKBRUNE BROS. MOVERS – SINCE 1931 – JOE ROCKBRUNE
  • RON HOGGARTH
  • SALLY ELSTON
  • SUNBELT RENTALS – SCOTT EVERTON AND ANDY SUTTON
  • THE ELSTON FOUNDATION – SALLY ELSTON
  • TIFF’S RESTAURANT – JOE MALEK
  • TONY AND SUE DAWSON
  • MALONES PINT HOUSE – BREAKFAST CLUB
  • BARNETT WEALTH MANAGEMENT – GEOFF BARNETT
  • NEAR NORTH SUPPLY – MIKE FULTON
  • LAFARGE BARRIE READYMIX – PAMELA JACK
  • BARRISTON LAW
  • CAR CENTRAL – GENE SPADAFORA
  • LARRY KOZA AND TRISH REID
  • ANGELA AND GREG WOOD
  • SANDSTONE
  • NICK LOUGHEED AND MARLENE GOMES
  • HOPE CUSHMAN AND DAVID CAPE