Rooted in Lincoln: Enhancing and Protecting Lincoln's Urban Forest

Enhancing Our Tree Canopy

The Town of Lincoln is undertaking an Urban Forest Management Review as part of a comprehensive effort to enhance the health and expand the coverage of our urban forest. This initiative will involve implementing the best policies and practices, ensuring the entire community benefits from the many economic, environmental, and health-related advantages of a vibrant tree canopy. As part of this initiative, the Town has formed a dedicated working group to guide the project, consisting of Lincoln citizens, Council members, and staff. This group will play a crucial role in developing a tree procedures and standards manual, integrating urban forest management with climate strategies, and educating the community about the impacts of climate change on our urban forests.

To learn more about the Town of Lincoln's Urban Forest Management Review and Working Group, visit Speak Up Lincoln.

Lincoln’s urban forest: where does it stand?

According to the Town’s tree assessment (Razaghirad, 2021), the canopy covers 21.4% (i.e., 35.4 km²) of the Town and includes all shade and ornamental trees and large non-crop shrubs in forested areas. It also includes isolated and small groups of trees located in urban parks and trees on private and public properties. Since fruit trees in orchards and grape vines provide fewer benefits and services (compared to other tree types), they were excluded from the tree cover estimate.

Lincoln’s urban forest is unevenly distributed because of agricultural activities within the Town, the dispersion and disjointedness of urban areas, and the existence of large tracks of natural forest. Most of the canopy is found along the Niagara Escarpment, consisting of 43% of the available canopy. As a result of the small size of the six urban areas in Lincoln, the canopy within these areas only represents 5% of the total canopy.

2025 Activities

- We exceeded last year’s goal to plant 1,000 new trees in Lincoln. With the help of residents, businesses, and community volunteers we planted 1,160 trees in 2024.
- This year, we are upping the ante to plant even more trees! Help us combat climate change by participating in our goal of planting 1,200 new trees in Lincoln in 2025. Every tree makes a difference, and with your support, we can achieve this milestone together.
- Visit our online Tree Mapping Inventory to pin the location of any newly planted tree.
- Stay tuned for more information and updates on this project and upcoming engagement opportunities.
- Ontariogreen, in partnership with the Town, will be hosting EcoFest – an Earth Day Event to educate visitors on the importance of native trees, and to promote the Town’s Urban Forest Management Review.
Saturday, April 19, 2025
- 12 (noon) to 3 p.m.
- Presentation on Birds! - Our Only Surviving Dinosaurs at 1:15 p.m. (kid-friendly event!)
- Native trees available to Lincoln residents by donation
- Fleming Centre (foyer), 5020 Serena Drive, Beamsville (Lincoln)
- For more information about this event, please visit our Calendar of Events.

What We've Done

As part of the Town of Lincoln's Urban Forest Management Review Working Group's efforts, the Town in partnership with Ontariogreen Conservation Association, undertook a Miyawaki Mini Forests Pilot Project at Rotary Park.
The Town received a $17,000 grant from the Niagara Community Foundation (NCF), and a $10,000 grant from the Greenbelt Foundation through the Living Cities Canada Fund, a program of Green Communities Canada, and $3,700 from Trees for Life to fund this initiative. This generous funding enabled the Town to implement a Miyawaki Mini Forest in our community, helping to naturalize urban spaces, mitigate and address climate change, and enrich biodiversity.
The Miyawaki Mini Forests Pilot Project aligns with the Town’s mission of delivering services with an environmental, social, and economically resilient focus. Following directions from Town Council, the Working Group, inclusive of environmentally focused citizens' groups and staff with specialized expertise, reviewed tree-related practices and policies aligning with Council Priorities. These priorities emphasize enhancing air quality and reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere through the growth and maintenance of the urban tree canopy.
Project Update
Our Mini Forest Community Planting was held in November 2024, and involved the planting of 790 native trees and shrubs with support from community volunteers.
This initiative was part of our ongoing commitment to create a healthier urban environment by planting trees and fostering sustainability within our community. Our mini forest will provide many benefits, such as reducing the urban heat island effect, enhancing local biodiversity, improving stormwater management, mitigating flood risks, improving air quality, and elevating the physical and mental well-being of the Town of Lincoln’s residents and visitors.
The planting site has been strategically selected to prioritize the Town’s environmental priorities:
- Provides enhanced urban canopy cover in the Beamsville area, which has a lower percentage of tree cover (15.7%) compared to the Town’s overall tree coverage (21.9%)
- Native plantings within the Rotary Park natural corridor will provide benefits along the creek system such as enhanced biodiversity and wildlife habitat
- Location at Rotary Park adjacent to the Val Fleming Butterfly Garden is well-suited to incorporate educational signage, raise community awareness of the value of the tree canopy, and facilitate public involvement in the Mini Forest project
- Ideally situated with access to sunlight, watering and maintenance to ensure long-term survivability of the Mini Forest
This project is a collaboration between the Town of Lincoln and Ontariogreen, and was made possible by support from the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA), funding from the Niagara Community Foundation (NCF), Trees for Life, and the Greenbelt Foundation through the Living Cities Canada Find, a program of Green Communities Canada.
Image

Image

Image
In 2024, the community came together to plant 1,150 trees, exceeding our target of 1,000 trees!
Thank you to everyone who participated in our 2024 Community Tree Planting Challenge and pinned your tree on our Interactive Map! We are thrilled to announce that the three winners of our challenge giveaway have been selected and notified.
The Town would also like to recognize the following Lincoln businesses who participated in this initiative through the Town’s first Business Tree Sale. These businesses are our 2024 Tree Champions!
- Aligned People Strategies Inc.
- Bonnybank Bed and Breakfast
- Home Comforts Farm
Image

Benefits of Trees & Rain Barrels

The Town’s tree canopy is made up of both public and private trees and is a valuable infrastructure asset. Healthy urban forests and enhanced tree canopies provide numerous environmental, economic and social benefits to our community. Trees are as necessary as water, roads, and energy to sustaining a healthy community. Trees play an integral role in helping communities mitigate and adapt to climate change. A few of the numerous benefits of trees are outlined below:
Climate Change Mitigation
- Reduce temperatures and mitigating the heat-island effect through evapotranspiration
- Sequester the emission of greenhouse gasses by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
- Remove air pollutants by trapping particulate matter in their leaves, needles and bark
Climate Change Adaptation
- Trees help communities adapt to climate change impacts such as increased precipitation and extreme weather events:
- Reduce the amount of runoff and pollution that enters stormwater and sewer systems
- Reduce soil erosion
- Increase soil absorption capacity
Environmental Benefits
- Improves local air quality through the active removal of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from the air
- Mitigates air, dust, noise, heat, and chemical pollution
- Helps reduce local flooding through water filtration and reducing stormwater runoff
- Reduces urban heat island effect
- Provides important habitat for wildlife and helps preserve biodiversity
Economic Benefits
- Attractive environment for businesses and visitors
- Increased real estate values
- Enhanced tourism values
- Lower utility costs and increased energy savings as a result of climate amelioration, such as providing shade in the summer and blocking wind in the winter
Social and Health Benefits
- Contributes to desirable environments to live, work and spend leisure time
- Improves mental health and overall well-being by conveying sense of calm, relieving stress, and facilitating relaxation and outdoor activity
- Creates a buffer between moving vehicles and pedestrians
- Trees are valuable public infrastructure, and not simply ornamentation. Whether publicly or privately owned, trees provide environmental, economic, social and health benefits shared by all of Lincoln. It is important to increase and maintain a healthy tree canopy with age and species diversity that keeps pace with the Town’s growth.
Using rain barrels to collect and store rainwater offers significant benefits, both to your wallet and to the environment. See below to learn how you can use a rain
barrel for your household water needs:
Watering
1. Water your lawn, plants and garden.
2. Fill a watering can to water
  indoor plants.
Garden Irrigation
1. Connect a soaker hose and place it in your garden.
2. Add pressure using a pond pump and attach a garden hose.
Cleaning
1. Wash your car, clean outdoor furniture and wash your garden tools and containers.
Downspout Disconnection
Downspout disconnection is a process used to reduce the amount of stormwater that enters sanitary or combined sewers. Less stormwater in the system prevents wastewater from backing up through sewer pipes where it can escape through floor drains or other low-lying plumbing fixtures in your basement.
Rain barrels can be installed on a disconnected downspout. By redirecting rainwater from your downspout into a rain barrel, you can capture and store rainwater for later use.
Some of the benefits of downspout disconnection include:
1. It reduces the amount of stormwater sent through the sewer system, which can lead to overflow into rivers, streams and lakes as well as cause sewer backups and basement flooding in your home.
2. It replenishes and protects the groundwater table and reduces and delays stormwater runoff, preventing flash flooding in rivers and streams.
3. It places fewer burdens on the sewer system, leading to lower energy costs and increased effectiveness of wastewater treatment facilities.
Rain barrels contribute to sustainability by lowering water demand, conserving a vital natural resource, and reducing the strain on stormwater systems.

Infographic of 1,000 Tree Planting Community Challenge showing 1,150 trees planted — 1,000 Tree Planting Community Challenge 2024 - Challenge Exceeded!

Links to Relevant Policy, Standards, and By-Laws

The Town’s Tree Protection page summarizes how trees in Lincoln are regulated and protected through policies and by-laws.
The Town’s Municipal Design and Quality standards document has been updated to include tree planting and watering guidelines and tree protection requirements.
The Town’s Draft Official Plan now includes information and policies to protect and enhance our Urban Forest (Section 8.5).