Summerside residents now have 500 more reasons to enjoy Rotary Friendship Park. The Rotary Club of Summerside has wrapped up a major tree planting effort at the park, with funding from the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation.
More than 50 volunteers, including many children, came together recently to plant the trees on a 9.3-acre site donated by Rotarian Donna MacKay, president of Enterprise Venture Group. MacKay has been integral to the park’s growth over the past decade.
The new trees add to what is already Summerside’s largest green space. At 64 acres, Rotary Friendship Park features roughly five kilometres of trails through wetlands, forested areas, and picnic spots. Club President Keith Tanton says the planting is just one piece of a bigger plan.
The project is one of many the Rotary Club has planned for the area. The club has already installed bike racks at the new Cairns Boulevard parking lot and has a trail resurfacing project in the works. An additional 500 trees are set to be planted this September.
The Rotary Club of Summerside has been serving Islanders for more than 80 years with over 45 active members. Funds for the tree planting came through a grant from TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, which supports community green space projects across Canada.
