Bill Hogg and June Sanderson call themselves OCD gardeners,
The retired teachers wanted to bring some nature to Cornwall.
They thought it would just be a few trees around the school, but the project grew much larger.
Over 2000 plants on 40 acres larger.
“That’s been a good thing,” said Hogg.
More than 400 students have helped to plant trees, flowers and shrubs since 2014.
This fall, the Terry Fox Trail Enhancement Group planted a pollination bed of native wildflowers, some rare native tree species and some signs to identify them.
The new signs all have QR codes – those boxy shapes that link to a website if they’re photographed with a smartphone. These codes take users to information on the McPhail woods website.
Hogg calls the 2 km trail the Naturalization Gallery, since 2014, the trails have been configured into a loop with help from the town of Cornwall. They have also built several bridges.
The trail first passes the Peace Circle – a druid-inspired ring of 12 trees – and moves into the memorial grove.
Cornwall councilor Peter Meggs had the idea for memorial trees. Hogg knew just where to put them – on the trail.
“We have to do this here. There’s no holding back on them now,” said Hogg.
To honour a loved one, families and friends can plant a tree. A stone tablet is placed near it, again with a QR code that links to a page unique to each person, said Hogg.
“It conveys much more information that a gravestone.”
The first tree planted was in memory of one of the original members of the trail enhancement group, a former vice principal of Eliot River School.
This fall a stone patio was built just beyond the memorial grove. Next spring there will be benches on which to sit and reflect, said Hogg.
Hogg looks forward to the official opening next summer.
