Boréal to create tree and shrub seed bank

The Xstrata Nickel Biodiversity Applied Research Centre at Collège Boréal will create a tree and shrub seed bank to assist with local re-greening efforts.

In the past, re-greening efforts in the Sudbury basin have relied heavily upon tree and plant seeds sourced from southern Ontario. The goal is to use local seeds that grow into plants, which are better adapted to thrive in the climate of northern Ontario.

"There have been very good re-greening efforts in Sudbury for years, but there was a missing piece - biodiversity," said Marc Hebert, professor of Natural Resources Sector at the college.

"The biodiversity aspect of our partnership fills that need and we're going to work with students in our forestry and natural resources programs, as well as community members, on these projects."

"Xstrata Nickel has planted more than 60,000 trees annually for the past five years and hundreds of thousands of trees over the last two decades," Eva Carissimi, Xstrata Nickel director of the Sudbury smelter, said.

"This program takes us to the next level by focusing on the creation of sustainable, northern, diverse forests. We are working closely with community members to achieve this. It is also consistent with the Biodiversity Action Plan for Greater Sudbury, which we fully support."

The company and the college have been working together to pin down the location for a planned sustainable forest that will be managed by students. The selection is expected to be completed by early 2011.