A tree planting campaign along Confederation Way will feature crews planting 5,000 trembling aspen seedlings in the project area.

The project, which is sponsored by Tree Canada through the Arbor Day Foundation, hopes to create an “urban forest” in the region. Since the May 2016 wildfire, Tree Canada has planted more than 83,000 trees in Wood Buffalo.

The 5,000 seedlings along Confederation are FireSmart-approved tree species planted within FireSmart guidelines.

According to the municipality, these trees are deciduous, meaning they shed their leaves annually, as opposed to evergreen, which have leaves throughout the year and burn faster.

“When we think about the term FireSmart, we often think about the vegetation management projects we conduct to remove fuels and hazards from our forests,” said Jody Butz, Regional Fire Chief. “But we’re also working closely with groups like Tree Canada to re-plant FireSmart-approved trees in our community.”

The tree planting project is one of many taking place across the region. Residents are reminded to use caution near all tree planting sites as seedlings are small, hard to see and easy to damage.

Since the May 2016 wildfire, the municipality has been monitoring the region to ensure the urban forest is re-growing as it should be.

The municipality has also been working to restore the natural beauty of the landscape by identifying new areas that are both suitable and safe to plant FireSmart-approved trees.

In other areas, the municipality has created firebreak areas near neighbourhoods that back onto the treeline.

“When it comes down to it, it’s all about planting the right tree in the right place,” said Butz.

vmcdermott@postmedia.com