New fundraiser aims to replant P.E.I. after Fiona tree devastation

Many parts of the Island are still littered with trees knocked down by post-tropical storm Fiona.

One community in eastern P.E.I. has come up with a way to replace some of the trees that have been lost, launching a new fundraiser called Replant P.E.I.

It's an initiative of the volunteer-run St. Peter's Area Development Corporation.

"My first thought in the first couple of days after the hurricane was, I can't bear to cut down a Christmas tree this year. There's just been too much loss," said corporation president Sarah Branje.

"As we learned how much of trees and forests were destroyed with the hurricane, it came to me that maybe we should switch that, and try and replant some trees in P.E.I."

Native species

There is a Replant P.E.I. website where Islanders and people across the country can go online and gift trees.

Branje said the donations can go to family and friends on P.E.I., or to an Island park or green space, where they will be planted on behalf of the donor.

"So far, evergreens, we have red and white spruce and red and white pine which are native to the Island," Branje said.

"Part of the problem is that so many businesses including tree farms on the Island were devastated so they just can't promise us in any inventory in the spring because they're still in cleanup mode themselves."

As a result, Branje said the trees will be coming from Nova Scotia, with a selling price of one sapling for $6, four for $20, or 20 for $100.

Branje said she and other tourist operators in the St. Peter's Bay area have been reaching out to their clients to tell them about the tree campaign.

If you want to help the Island, here's a great way to do it.Sarah Branje

"After the hurricane, weas well as many other people on the Island I'm sure, received so many emails of concern. 'How are you, how's your property?' that we've reached back out to those people," Branje said.

"I said, 'Hey, if you want to help the Island, here's a great way to do it.' So the response has been really good so far."

'A great gift'

Cathy MacKinnon is secretary for the development corporation, as well as a councillor with the Rural Municipality of St. Peter's Bay.

"I have friends in Ontario that I have sent a message to and told them it would be a great gift if they want to do something like that," MacKinnon said.

"It definitely is going to take a while, but the longer we wait until we start something like this, the longer it's going to be till we see mature trees again," MacKinnon said.

"So I think it's really timely, and it's great to get it started as soon as we can."

Branje said there will be six pickup locations for Islanders who have received donated trees, and they will plant them themselves.

She said trees that are donated to a park or green space will be planted by a not-for-profit organization in those areas.

"We'd love a goal of 2,000trees. We think it's reachable, and Christmas is a great time for giving, and that's sort of why we chose this time to start doing it," Branje said.

"We will maintain an open ordering window until mid-winter, perhaps the end of February. But really the push on now is, if you're buying a gift for an Island family or friend, let's make it a tree."