A Celebration of Tree Planting Where Canadians live, work, and play
The arrival of December always brings about a certain feeling that is unique to this time of year. This is a time of renewal as we get ready to turn our calendar over to a new year and the inevitable sense of optimism that comes with it: “new year, new me”.
It’s also a time when we look back retrospectively at the year that has passed, what has changed, and what was accomplished.
For the Trees for Life family, 2023 celebrates another chapter of our story.
Trees for Life’s 2023 by the numbers:
Nearly 140,000 trees planted
20 projects and partners
Trees planted in 3 provinces
Over $1 million raised (and counting!)
Over 2400 volunteers participating in tree-planting events
Over 800 individual and corporate donors (and counting!)
And while these numbers are a great way of measuring our success, it’s the stories behind the numbers that are sometimes the most powerful. These are a few that stand out in our eyes.
Check out this season’s highlights by clicking through the gallery below.
Land Reclamation
Much hay was made with abandoned farmland. Partnerships with the likes of the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority and nurseries such as Pineneedle Farms and St. Williams Nursery and Ecology Centre allowed us to plant over 60,000 trees on land that was previously used for agricultural purposes, essentially reclaiming what was once wild and over time, converting it back into healthy forests.
We supported the planting of little forests that make a big difference. In partnership with Little Forests Kingston, 125 trees were planted at the Indigenous Food Sovereignty Garden using the increasingly popular Miyawaki style to help create a tiny forest. The site was repatriated from the Faith United Church to the Indigenous Community and will be stewarded under the umbrella of the newly formed All My Relations Land Trust.
We took a “remedial” approach to creating new forests in western Canada. Nutrien, one of Canada’s premier fertilizer producers started a fascinating new project with Trees for Life planting partner, Project Forest. They reclaimed industrial lands used previously for mining the raw materials for fertilizer through afforestation.
Over 26,000 trees were added to otherwise barren land. These trees now absorb stormwater before any byproducts of the mining process can contaminate it and before it reenters the local watershed. They will grow at an incredible rate due to the high nutrient content of the soil. As they mature, they will release oxygen and filter the air, reducing pollution and the dust particles drifting into nearby neighbourhoods among other benefits.
Reforesting Public Green Spaces
This year we supported the building and enhancement of several public green spaces.
Tawa Park in Edmonton, Bruce’s Mill Conservation area in Stouffville, the Kortright Conservation area in Guelph, and even small laneways in downtown Toronto received support from Trees For Life and our partners for the planting of new trees.
The pandemic years heightened the need for vibrant public green spaces in our communities and the links between access to these spaces and our physical and mental health are now abundantly clear.
There’s not enough room in one newsletter to tell all of our stories, but perhaps the most powerful takeaways from 2023 were the roaring return of public events and the emergence of our Trees for Heroes and Trees for Health programs.
This fall, Trees for Life participated in eight volunteer-driven tree-planting events over a two-month period. This was an extraordinary opportunity to share the experience of tree planting with enthusiastic supporters. To roll our sleeves up, get our hands dirty, and enjoy some laughs and smiles as we work together to get more trees in the ground. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a hands-on experience is surely worth a million.
The Trees for Health movement is gaining momentum. We are planting trees to say thank you to all healthcare workers and first responders who work to keep us safe and healthy every day. And we are planting trees for the many health benefits that they provide.
Several plantings took place in 2023 under the Trees for Health banner with the biggest so far occurring through a partnership with the City of Edmonton. Over 18,000 trees were planted across the city as a tribute to local healthcare heroes.
To date, over 22,000 trees have been planted in tribute to Canadian healthcare workers and you can count on that number rising in 2024.
And speaking of 2024, your help is needed to ensure we can continue to fight climate change by planting trees in communities right across Canada, made possible with your support. A reminder that ALL donations made between now and Dec. 31st will be automatically matched by an anonymous donor. You can choose to become a monthly donor and make a big difference 12x per year! If you haven’t already, please click here or visit treesforlife.ca to donate today.
A big hug of thanks to all who have!
We invite you to celebrate a great 2023 with us and to join us as we continue to write the Trees For Life story.
Sincerely, and with our best wishes for the holiday season,
Mike Hurley
Executive Director, Canadian Trees For Life
www.treesforlife.ca
Mark Cullen
Volunteer Board President, Canadian Trees For Life
www.treesforlife.ca