Tree Canada fights climate change through reforestation, afforestation, and urban greening programs.
From extreme temperatures to more intense storms, climate change directly impacts communities across the country. As Canadians look for answers, trees represent a cost-effective natural solution to fight climate change and mitigate its impacts.
Tree Canada (TC) is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to inspire, educate, and enable Canadians to plant and nurture trees to improve lives and address climate change.
Since 1992, TC has planted millions of trees across Canada. In 2021 alone, over 900,000 trees were planted as part of the National Greening Program, supported by corporate and individual donors, and the federal government’s 2 Billion Trees program. This mass seedling planting initiative focuses on areas with biodiversity and habitat loss, damaged waterways, or large open spaces with no previous tree cover.
But trees are as important in our cities as they’re in the wilderness. As of 2021, 73.7 per cent of Canadians lived in large urban centres. Without adequate tree cover, the heat island effect makes urban areas hotter and reduces the social, psychological, and economic health of these communities. To increase urban green space, TC works with partners to provide Community Tree Grants and organize events like National Tree Day, which is happening on September 21 this year.
Protecting and investing in forests and greening urban areas are crucial to help build sustainable communities and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
