The WindsorEssex Community Foundation is celebrating 40 Years of Inspiring Philanthropy throughout 2023, with a broad range of community investments. This year, we are investing in community to create projects that will invest in lasting change, reflect who we are as the people of Windsor and Essex County, value our sense of place and culture, and honour both our local history and our future as it unfolds. We are privileged to be celebrating our 40th Anniversary with phenomenal community partners.
Residents of Windsor and Essex County have a new green space to enjoy, thanks to the Essex County Field Naturalists’ Club and Little River Enhancement Group! On Saturday, May 13, 2023 a dedicated group of volunteers gathered to plant 40 large-stock trees in Derwent Park, supported by a community investment from the WindsorEssex Community Foundation in celebration of the 40 years of inspiring philanthropy.
Guided by a team of professionals from Essex Region Conservation Authority, members of Little River Enhancement Group, Essex County Field Naturalists’ Club, and WindsorEssex Community Foundation staff and Board of Directors were joined by a dedicated group of community volunteers in planting the 40 trees, adding a beautiful enhancement to the field at Derwent Park. With the addition of a new walking path, these new trees will create much-needed shade cover for this recreational space.
The Essex County Field Naturalists’ Club and the WindsorEssex Community Foundation have a long history of community partnership. In the 1990’s, WECF supported the tree & shrub planting and river cleanup activities of the Little River Enhancement Group (Lil’ Reg), leading to the eventual establishment of the WindsorEssex Nature Fund. The Fund, held at the WindsorEssex Community Foundation, is a source of long-term support for the Essex County Field Naturalists’ Club ensuring a lasting legacy and support for the future of this important local environmental organization.
“Trees naturally add substantial spiritual value to the Windsor-Essex region. The connection humans have with trees touches the soul,” say Ian Naisbitt of the Little River Enhancement Group and Essex County Field Naturalists’ Club. “Essentially, trees make people feel good. City dwellers value the view of a tree outside their windows. Urban trees calm people during their commute to work. The Foundation’s Commemorative Grove will help to improve the mental health of the people who visit this peaceful, natural setting and reflect on their life with the help of the trees.”
