Sunday June 07 ‘Great Divide’ tree & seed planting
The GFoundation ‘Miquelon Watershed Stewardship Committee’(MWSC) has released it’s final poster and program for the ‘Great Divide’ tree and native seed planting event planned for June 7th within Camrose County in the Beaver Hills Biosphere (BHB), near Edmonton on June 7, 2026.
CLICK HERE for final information & poster
“We are doing more than planting seeds and trees; we are planting ideas and encouraging action”, says a MWSC organizer. “For the first time this year, our ‘Great Divide’ is associated with other activities in and by the Beaver, Camrose, Leduc and Strathcona counties.
The ‘Great Divide’ event coincides with a forum in Edmonton, bringing together diverse watershed, wetland and conservation organizations. For the first time this year as well, children and youth will be getting into the act by distributing native plant seeds at the same time as trees are being planted, CLICK HERE.
The GF’s MWSC is co-hosting the ‘Great Divide’ event in conjunction with the Battle River Watershed Alliance (BRWA) and the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance (NSWA). The broader involvement of the indigenous community is being included in recognition of its historical relationship to these wetlands. In addition, this years’ tree planting will coincide with World Environment Week, during which numerous activities will be taking place across Alberta.
The plan is to extend such events as the ‘Great Divide’ to eventually match more closely the scale of problems facing our wetlands.
By becoming involved on June 7th, we will be amplifying the voices of those who are calling for more action.
A spotlight on one landholder
The intention is aimed at sowing Alberta native plants and grasses to compete with invasive ones that jeopardize the survival of young tree and native plant species. June 07 participants (tree planters & seed sowers) will also be invited to take seeds home to plant, elsewere.
Jelle Van Ens is one of the landholders in Beaver County who is encouraging neighbours to join him, after the ‘Great Divide”, next June 09 to plant trees and sow native plants on land classified as Municipal Reserve, with the prospect of turning it into a wildlife protected area.
The first ‘Great Divide’ tree planting in 2025 spurred landholders like him into a range of actions to foster more biodiversity in the globally significant wetlands that exist in the Beaver Hills Biosphere amongst which they live. Five nearby landholder neighbours have already indicated that they will be joining Van Ens in planting trees on their own land this year. Since planning tree planting on the Municipal Reserve Land,
Van Ens has been involved with the GFoundation group and the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institutute (ABMI) to begin monitoromg amphibians and wildlife on his land.
It is an action that nearby landholders are now seeking to join, with a possible reach over greater portions of the southern part of the Beaver Hills Biosphere.
Van Ens’ actions are demonstrating that initial small steps taken by individuals or groups can often lead to more significant ones, involving actions that can make a huge difference, in the long term.
You can help by buying 50/50 wetland raffle tickets
The Great Divide planting is being organised, despite financial challenges for many organisations. Our 50/50 Wetland Fundraiser Could cover the June 07 tree planting costs and other events, later this year .
As the winner you take half the Grand Christmas Jackpot, Other half goes to tree planting costs.
CLICK BELOW FOR