Regreening Operations

Since the late 1800s, Sudbury has been known for mining. It was also known for its barren, treeless landscape as a result of mining and smelting practices. Check out our video to see what we’ve done to restore the health of our landscape.

Phases of Operations

Our regreening operations have several phases that take place to help improve the health and viability of our environment.

Phase One

• We apply limestone to barren landscapes to neutralize the acidity and toxicity of the soil.

Phase Two

• After we apply limestone, we fertilize the area. This encourages growth and decreases the amount of toxic metals that plant roots will absorb. We usually do this is in the summer.

Phase Three

• In the early fall, we seed the areas that have had limestone and fertilizer applied to them.

Phase Four

• The year after we plant the seeds, grass begins grow in those areas. Seeds from nearby trees are blown to the area and begin to take root.

Phase Five

• One to three years later we plant tree seedlings to grow in the treated area.

Phase Six

• To create a healthy, sustainable forest we also need a healthy forest floor. In this phase, we take a variety of plants that grow on the forest floor and plant them in the treated areas. This helps to jump start new forest development.

Forest Floor Transplants

Types of Trees and Regreening Areas

Check out our Regreening App to see:

• areas where lime has been applied,
• where trees have been planted,
•  the types and numbers of trees we have planted in different areas of the city and more!

Curious about our program? Contact us.