Group of volunteers and partners gather at 40 Mile Creek in Grimsby

06.08.2023

COMING FULL CIRCLE: SHREDDING PAPER HELPS TO PLANT TREES

The recent wildfires across Canada have made it difficult for Ontarians to breathe in clear air. Air pollution carrying over to the Niagara Peninsula has made it challenging for some to enjoy being outside. With a dry spring season thus far, the need to maintain plant life and healthy ecosystems has become a necessity to lessen the risk of environmental damage … and Knight Archives is stepping in to do something about it.

Throughout the month of April, Knight Archives (a Lincoln-based data and records management company) collaborated alongside the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Foundation (NPCF), the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA), and the Town of Grimsby to support a restoration project at 40 Mile Creek Park. During the month of April (Earth Month), proceeds from paper shredding completed by Knight Archives would support the planting of native trees and shrubs at the park to increase biodiversity by replacing dead ash trees along the park’s pathway.

The Earth Month Shred initiative encouraged people to shred any papers for a noteworthy cause. Moreover, the organization donated the monetary difference outstanding to cover the full cost to plant 120 trees and 150 shrubs on Earth Day (April 22). The planting list for this project was reflective of the Niagara Peninsula’s unique Carolinian Life Zone and included species such as hackberry, basswood, sycamore, red osier, nannyberry, and others.