Return to our Roots
Do you think we will have an early spring? I do.
Not that I have a crystal ball, but I have been digging holes in my garden, and building an 8-foot arbour for the past month. There was no frost in the ground, though there should have been. Strange times.
The good news is that we are ready to welcome spring and the accompanying public plantings (more to come), celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) on April 1st, witness a full eclipse of the sun on April 8th, and that is just to get started.
You might wonder what the eclipse has to do with “putting down roots”. It is a natural phenomenon, and it ties in nicely with the rhythm of the seasons, as does spring tree planting. The tree planting we take credit for, the eclipse not so much. 😊
Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF)
Trees For Life is privileged to be the official tree planting partner of the RCAF. We will be planting trees in Charlottetown, PEI; Pennfield Ridge, NB; the Beechwood Cemetery, Ottawa; Military Heritage Park, Barrie ON; A.D. Ross Park, Calgary, AB; and the historic air base at Downsview Park in Toronto, all to mark the 100th anniversary of this branch of the Canadian Armed Forces.
After the ceremonies are finished and everyone has gone home, is there a more appropriate way to acknowledge the incredible contribution that the people of the RCAF have made to Canada than by planting trees in their honour? We think not. The practice of creating living tributes, started by our Highway of Heroes Tree Campaign, is clearly alive and well!
Almost 400 substantial trees will stand as a permanent tribute to our RCAF Heroes through this partnership. Details here.
Heroes
And Heroes is what we are all about.
Our ongoing campaign to thank and honour local heroes across the country continues to roll out. In the recent past, we have planted over 22,000 trees to honour healthcare workers and first responders at Sunnybrook Health Sciences, across the City of Edmonton, in cemeteries, and more. This year we plan on partnering with municipalities across the country to plant even more Hero Forests. Is your community ready for a Hero Forest? If so, we would love to hear from you.
If you or your local government or service club has access to real estate that is suitable for tree planting, we want to help make that happen. And here is hoping we can provide a hand up in your community tree planting efforts. Our mission is, after all, to plant trees where Canadians live, work and play.
There is indeed much going on in our orbit of urban tree planting. But we are never too busy to stop and say “thank you” to you, our loyal readers, supporters, and donors (you might be all three!) Trees for Life simply would not be able to exist without you.
And our partnerships with municipalities, every level of government, and our corporate sponsors would never get off the ground.
Our trees, for that matter, would never get in the ground 😊
Enjoy making roots in April.
Sincerely,
Mark Cullen
Founding Chair, on behalf of the Trees For Life team
www.treesforlife.ca