Breslau and Bloomingdale residents looking to add greenery to their yards can take advantage of two upcoming tree giveaways hosted by Trees for Woolwich.
The first giveaway will take place in Bloomingdale on September 26, (9-11 a.m.) at the Bloomingdale Community Centre. One week later, on October 3, the Breslau Community Centre will host its giveaway during the same hours.
Each event will have 200 native trees available, all grown at the Trees for Woolwich nursery in Elmira. The trees are free on a first-come, first-served basis, with a strict limit of three trees for urban properties and 10 for rural properties. The initiative is part of an ongoing partnership between the township and Trees for Woolwich to paint the town green by increasing local tree canopy.
“Besides increasing the tree canopy, it’s also an opportunity to introduce people to different species of native trees,” said Inga Rinne, chair of Trees for Woolwich.
“Our tree nursery has over 30 different species of trees, and there’s an amazing number of native trees that people have, lots of people have never heard of, and some of them are lovely trees. They’re just not that common. It’s not a maple or a pine, or a spruce. So it’s a chance for people to discover some new varieties.”
People interested in participating in the tree giveaway are encouraged to visit the Trees for Woolwich website to see which tree best suits their space, taking into account factors such as soil conditions, moisture and sunlight.
“There’s nothing more discouraging than planting things and watching them die, so try and get it right the first time.
The larger tree varieties available include red maples, sugar maples, white spruce, white pine, white cedar, red oak and Ohio buckeye. Small to medium-sized trees include serviceberry, silky dogwood, red bud, and red osier dogwood.
“The people who are giving away the trees are experienced tree planters,” said Rinne.
Experienced tree planters will run the giveaways, answer questions, and help residents select the perfect match for their soil and sunlight conditions.
“We encourage the right tree in the right place.”
Anyone looking to get hands-on experience with actually planting trees can also join the Trees for Woolwich Team on the day of the Bloomingdale tree giveaway for their tree planting at the naturalized area of Bloomingdale Park. Interested participants don’t have to sign up ahead of time; they can just head over to the park after the tree giveaway.
“We’re just putting in little seedlings,” said Rinne, adding that previously they had planted larger trees in the area a few years prior. However, the types of trees planted did not do well in the space.
“We’ve determined that it’s really quite a dry site. It’s quite light soil, and we really don’t have the capacity to be able to water there. Drought-tolerant and smaller trees will do better, so it’s a lesson learned,” said Rinne.
For more information visit www.healthywoolwich.org/events.
By Meg Deak, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on Sep 10, 2026 at 14:59
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