Protecting the trees in Elmwood

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/09/2022 (1289 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A few kilometres can sometimes make a huge difference in a city. Take the issue of tree banding, for example — the Glenelm Neighbourhood Association might want to direct Elmwood residents to look at areas where extensive participation in tree protection to inspire them to help keep Winnipeg’s leafy canopy safe from the annual cankerworm infestation.

September might seem like an odd time to think about caterpillars and moths, but the Glenelm Neighbourhood Association’s recent tree-banding campaign looked to the future.

As the City of Winnipegs public works website notes, the best time to band trees is in mid-September or mid-March to keep cankerworms from climbing the trees to lay eggs. Although the bands might seem too simple to be an effective solution, they are a good way of controlling cankerworms without the use of potentially dangerous chemicals.

Controlling these pests is not just an individual initiative. As the city’s website urges: “Encourage your neighbours to also band their trees because cankerworms can travel on their silken threads as larvae.”

This characteristic means that widespread participation in the banding program is necessary to make a real difference in preserving the trees.

Mellanie Lawrenz, secretary of the GNA, says, “our tree canopy is a really important asset to the neighbourhood. This is our third year and it’s been incredible seeing the neighbours continue to come together to support the tree-banding. It’s a real community-led initiative.”

Indeed, GNA’s tree banding project is run by volunteers.

Residents of the Glenelm neighbourhood recently received small green flyers outlining the details of the tree banding project. Schmidt Tree Banding is taking care of the actual implementation, but residents can pay a fee of $13 for each tree, whether on their own property or on the boulevard. Trees that need banding include many of the city’s deciduous trees, such as elms and maples, but not birches or coniferous trees.

Information on tree banding in Glenelm is available at www.glenelm.ca, and residents can contact the people in charge of the program through trees@glenelm.ca. The deadline to participate in theseason’s ‘official’ banding campaign is already past, butn residents of Glenelm and other areas of Elmwood can still take the initiative and arrange for tree banding on their own or wait until spring for the next opportunity. Preventing cankerworms through tree banding can help to keep the neighbourhood’s trees safe.