The Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority has opened intake for its Spring 2026 tree planting program for Goderich, Ontario, residents and landowners. ABCA is encouraging early applications because professional site visits, shoreline erosion designs and some grant funding often require up to a year of lead time to arrange.
Landowners can pre-order native species for shoreline and habitat restoration and book consultations with ABCA staff. Participants may apply for grant incentives tied to ABCA programs — for example, support connected with the Planting with Purpose native tree sale — and for other grants such as the Enbridge Fueling Futures contribution that ABCA has used to support local plantings. Trees are ordered in bulk through ABCA’s programs, which helps lower per-tree costs for participants.
ABCA’s tree-planting efforts help stabilize eroding shorelines, capture carbon and rebuild wildlife corridors. The authority facilitates the planting of roughly 50,000 to 60,000 trees each year across the Ausable River, Bayfield River and Bayfield Gully watersheds. This ‘soft infrastructure’ approach is increasingly preferred over stone walls and other hard fixes.
To secure trees for April or May 2026 planting, landowners are advised to submit order forms by February 28, 2026 (the standard order deadline for planting-year orders) and to apply for grants in summer/fall 2025 when funding programs require 6–12 months of lead time. Once applications are in, ABCA staff will recommend species suited to each property and guide applicants through funding paperwork. Site visits help balance landowner views with the authority’s shoreline-stabilization goals.
“People who plant trees can see benefits at the property scale in terms of wind protection and shade,” said Ian Jean, ABCA’s Forestry and Land Stewardship Specialist. “Those benefits extend to the entire watershed community by protecting our shared soil and water resources.” Full program details and order forms are available on the ABCA Tree Order Portal.
