Partners & Projects
Trees for Health
The need for vibrant public green spaces in our communities and the links between access to them and our physical and mental health is clear. It’s one reason Trees for Life is driven to plant trees for the benefits they provide us AND in recognition of heroes.
In 2023, over 20,977 trees were planted in tribute to Canadian healthcare workers. Trees for Life is focused on growing that number in 2024 with our partners the Trees for Health Coalition, One Bench One Tree, Covenant Health, Providence Health, and others across Canada.
Trees for Heroes
Continuing the Highway of Heroes tradition of creating living legacies, Trees for Life is proud to plant trees that pay tribute to the heroes who protect and enrich our lives. These heroes may include first responders, front-line and healthcare workers, neighbours, coaches, the military and loved ones. A hero is in the eye of the beholder!
See below for more information on our Trees for Heroes program and how you can honour your hero by planting a tree in their name.
In partnership with the City of Edmonton’s Root for Trees program, TD Friends of the Environment, and Covenant Health, Trees for Life hosted our largest tree planting event to date, honouring health workers. Volunteers from the organizations and the community joined local health workers to plant more than 1,000 trees in Tawa Park at Grey Nuns Community Hospital in Edmonton. This collaboration resulted in more than 19,000 trees planted across Edmonton in 2023.
City of Edmonton
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority partnered with Trees for Life corporate supporters AGF and Harrington and Associates to plant trees for local health heroes at Bruce’s Mill Conservation Area in Stouffville, ON. These 350 native trees and shrubs will help to increase the biodiversity and climate adaptation abilities of this important part of the Lake Ontario watershed and ensure future healthy green recreation sites for the community to enjoy.
Trees for Military Heroes
Royal Canadian Air Force Centennial (RCAF)
In addition to health heroes, Trees for Life continues to honour the brave men and women of our Armed Forces. In 2023, Trees for Life announced a special collaboration with the RCAF, that will help them mark their 100th anniversary in 2024.
Part of their celebration plan includes the construction of several “RCAF Centennial Groves,” commemorative plantings that will combine trees, shrubs, and other plants into meaningful configurations that will pay tribute to the sacrifices of those who have and are serving our country in an RCAF uniform. Currently, 6 communities are committed to building the Groves and as 2024 unfolds we expect many more will join. Stay tuned for special Centennial Grove unveilings in 2024.
Urban greening & land reclamation
The unique partnerships we develop with local environmental groups both small and large, nursery partners, and conservation authorities reinforce the importance of collaboration to help communities meet their planting goals
Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority and Nursery Partners
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Partnerships between the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority and nurseries such as Pineneedle Farms and St. Williams Nursery and Ecology Centre allowed us to support the planting of over 60,000 trees on over 35 hectares of private land that were previously used for agricultural purposes or secured for conservation, reclaiming acres of property and over time, returning it to healthy forests.
Little Forests Kingston
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In partnership with Little Forests Kingston, using the Miyawaki style of planting, a tiny forest of 125 trees was planted on the eastern outskirts of Kingston at the Indigenous Food Sovereignty Garden. The site was repatriated from the Faith United Church to the local Indigenous Community and will be stewarded under the umbrella of the newly formed All My Relations Land Trust.
McMaster University - Carbon Sink Forest Initiative
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Completed in 2023, this initiative, spearheaded by McMaster University, is a model forest of native tree species that have been planted to facilitate maximum carbon sink capabilities while promoting and preserving biodiversity, sustainability, and conservation. A team of faculty and students are tracking the growth and health of each tree and sharing this data with other researchers worldwide. TFL provided some of the funding to support the planting of all 900 trees.
Project Forest
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Trees for Life planting partner, Project Forest started a fascinating new project with Nutrien, one of Canada’s premier fertilizer producers. 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, among other benefits they will release oxygen and filter the air, reducing pollution and the potential for dust particles to drift into nearby neighbourhoods.
Indigenous Collaboration Projects
The Children’s Sacred Forest
In September 2023, Beechwood Cemetery Foundation alongside their partners, the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society and the Assembly of 7 Generations unveiled a new Sacred Forest. This monument features three large boulders, with a central plaque commemorating the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children who never made it home from Canada’s ‘Indian Residential Schools.’
Behind this feature are 7 dwarf pines. These unique trees will only grow to the height of a child and were contributed by Trees for Life. TFL was honoured to have a role in creating this important and moving memorial. This Children’s Sacred Forest will be a focal point for reconciliation and the long journey ahead of us.
Events and Corporate Support
The fall of 2023 brought the roaring return of volunteer plantings - eight events over two months, including our corporate sponsors’ employee engagement outings. It is always extraordinarily inspiring to share the experience of tree planting with enthusiastic supporters, who are advancing our urban planting mandate.
Kortright Hills Natural Area
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The City of Guelph continued to work towards its goal of 40% leafy cover and supporting climate change mitigation by hosting public events at Kortright Hills Natural Area. Trees for Life and corporate supporters Royal Canin and TD Bank planted 550 new native trees including Bur Oak, White Cedar, and Sugar Maple. It marks the second time in as many years that we are working together to improve an important part of the Hanlon Creek watershed.
Tommy Thompson Park
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Along the shoreline of Lake Ontario amid prime recreational trails and parkland, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and volunteers from the Canada Running Series, Trees for Life, and the Trans Canada Trail, joined forces. These plantings are a part of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority’s efforts to combat the impacts of climate change on this section of Lake Ontario shoreline and also help the Canada Running Series, who organize the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, to offset some of the carbon emissions the race produces.
Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests (LEAF)
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Planting partner LEAF, with support from Trees for Life, continued their multi-year urban forest restoration work at Beaver Woodland Park in Richmond Hill. Helped by community volunteers and TFL corporate sponsor Juel Group (Less Mess Environmental), over 600 trees and shrubs were planted within this 3 KM green corridor in honour of community health heroes.
Sponsors and Partners
Thank you to our amazing partners and sponsors for making our plantings possible.
Planting Partners
Interested in becoming a partner or sponsor?
Without the help from partners, sponsors and donors, we can’t get trees in the ground. Thank you for your interest in joining the family tree.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Previous Planting Projects
