Building New Inroads
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Building New Inroads

Trees for Life is thrilled to announce a new partnership with the 407 ETR that will result in 20,000 trees planted in the fall of 2024. 

In September of 2022, the 407 ETR Highway Corridor Biodiversity Project was launched.  Its objective is to revolutionize the 407’s vegetation management approach and to develop a healthy, ecologically sustainable, and biodiverse landscape running through the heart of the Greater Toronto Area. The project seeks to eradicate invasive plant species and increase the number of native plants (including trees), growing within and adjacent to the 407’s 108 km corridor.

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Planting Seeds
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Planting Seeds

Here at Trees For Life our #1 goal is to plant trees where Canadians live, work and play.”

We believe that the trees that benefit humans most are planted among us… or, maybe we live among the trees? In either case, you get the point.

Your donation works in mysterious ways.  In this newsletter you’ll read about a valued member of the Trees for Life team who grows trees for a living, is vice-chair of our charity and wanted to give back in a seriously big way.

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It’s All in the Family
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It’s All in the Family

When Rebecca read TFL Executive Director Mike Hurley’s story about his cancer journey, she joined The Acorns – the crew running and raising funds for TFL this October in the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon and 5K. 

Not only is Rebecca a long-time runner, but she is also the daughter of Tony DiGiovanni, (co-founder of TFL), and a Staff Physician, General Internal Medicine, at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Rebecca sees her fair share of health challenges in her role, but Mike’s story deeply touched her.

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A Gift of 5,000 Trees Keeps Giving
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A Gift of 5,000 Trees Keeps Giving

Oh, what a web we weave! 

In the spring of 2024, Jeff Olsen, owner of Brookdale Treeland Nurseries (BTN), and TFL board member, generously donated 5000 trees and shrubs to Trees for Life. All he asked was that suitable homes be found for them. It turns out this incredible gift valued at nearly $100K, spun a web connecting people, communities, and organizations, that continues today.

Trees for Life engaged its networks, and word of these free trees got out, even capturing the ears of Council members and the Mayor of the Town of Georgina. With grand tree-planting goals for their town already in place, they were particularly excited to engage the community and grow their urban tree canopy without increasing their budget with these trees.

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A conversation with Canada’s most decorated citizen Major-General (Retired) Richard Rohmer
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A conversation with Canada’s most decorated citizen Major-General (Retired) Richard Rohmer

Canada’s most decorated citizen and active serving member of the Canadian Armed Forces, Major-General (Retired) Richard Rohmer, the Honourary Lieutenant-General of the Canadian Armed Forces graciously granted Trees for Life a couple of hours of his time recently. We chatted about his service with the RCAF, and the General as he likes to be called, shared stories of his days flying P-51 Mustangs in World War II and his thoughts on planting living tributes to honour heroes. In the centennial year of the Royal Canadian Air Force, it’s notable that the General also celebrated his centennial in January this year.

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A message from Mark Cullen: Soaring over the treetops
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A message from Mark Cullen: Soaring over the treetops

is Canada Day, or, as you read this, very near the 157th anniversary of the birth of our country. I am just wondering, “Are you looking for something to celebrate?”

I have an idea. Let’s celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Together, with members of the storied RCAF we will stop for a moment, maybe longer, and think about their history and our own, which, if you are Canadian, is one and the same.“Never in the field of human conflict have so many owed so much to so few,” said Winston Churchill.

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Canada Running Series Acorns Team Member Anna M.
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Canada Running Series Acorns Team Member Anna M.

Meet Anna, a new Acorn team member who is taking her passion for running, nature, and trees to another level! After perusing the list of categories and finish times, Anna chose to run a half marathon, dressed as a vegetable, (since she is a vegetarian).

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Trees for Health – Now it’s Personal
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Trees for Health – Now it’s Personal

My oldest daughter, Victoria had joined me that day. Two days earlier was “take your kids to work day” but this was close enough for us. It was a great day and I couldn’t have picked a better way to cap off a successful fall planting season. However, nothing could have ever prepared me for the phone call that would come that afternoon….

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Planting for Patients and Providers
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Planting for Patients and Providers

The partnership was created because of our shared goal to create a happier, healthier Canada by planting native trees and shrubs where we live, work, and play. It will help bolster J & J’s commitment to creating a healthier world and sustainable future and realize its responsibility to help protect the communities in which we live and work.

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Honouring Health Workers and Creating Healthy Urban Forests
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Honouring Health Workers and Creating Healthy Urban Forests

Just ahead of Earth Day, on a chilly Saturday nearly 100 volunteers braved the elements to plant a commemorative grove of 400 trees at the Sherway Trail, adjacent to The Trillium Health Queensway Health Centre, in Etobicoke, ON. The planting was completed in partnership with the Toronto Region and Conservation Authority, to support their restoration efforts of the forest and habitat near Etobicoke Creek.

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Health Hero: Dr. Melissa Lem - Prescribing Green
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Health Hero: Dr. Melissa Lem - Prescribing Green

Dr. Lem is a B.C.-based family physician and climate advocate. She is also the Director of PaRx, a program she founded in 2020. Launched through the B.C. Parks Foundation, PaRx encourages healthcare providers to prescribe time in nature to improve patient health.

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We are planting something exciting this fall!
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We are planting something exciting this fall!

Ever wonder where your hard-earned donation went? How it was invested? I have some answers that might interest you on behalf of the (Canadian) Trees for Life team.

2023 was an extraordinary year from many points of view: we established new relationships with tree planting partners, corporate sponsors, and with you, our donors/supporters.

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