This year we celebrated our largest National Tree Day celebration to date! In addition to Tree Canada hosted plantings, a total of 63 community-led events were registered on our website – the most we’ve ever seen! We were amazed at how local organizations and citizens came together in honour of the importance and beauty of trees. Of these registered events, a lucky winner has been drawn to receive a free planting in their community!
This year, Tree Canada once again offered National Tree Day event organizers a chance to win a free tree planting event for their community. We are excited to share that the winner is Canadore College in North Bay, Ontario!
To celebrate National Tree Day, Sustainable Canadore gathered a group of over 50 volunteers, staff and community members who supported the planting of new native trees at the College Drive Campus. “Over 100 trees were planted as part of our Living Labs Project with College and Institutes Canada,” explains Jason Chirico, Sustainability Coordinator for Sustainable Canadore. “This plan involves creating a 10-year forest management plan, part of which involves adding to our current treescape.”
“Winning the 2023 National Tree Day Celebration Contest is the cherry on top of the sundae for us at Canadore. With plans to continue our tree-planting efforts each year, this award will help us make next year bigger and better for both the community and the environment. Thank you Tree Canada for inspiring Canadians across the country to get outside, get dirty, and get working to improve their communities.”
– Jason Chirico, Sustainability Coordinator for Sustainable Canadore
You can find more photos of the event on Instagram.
Congratulations to Canadore College!
Organized by Les Jardins à partager Saint-Hubert
Saint-Hubert (Longueuil), Quebec
This collaborative project aims at transforming a paved area in a new green space for the community, in an underprivileged area prone to heat islands. This new green park will become a place for intergenerational and inclusive socialization, including shared gardens which will give the population free access to fresh fruit and vegetables. The project intends to be an inspiring example of adaptation to climate change. The goal is to break down isolation, and fight the poverty and food desert situation in the Laflèche de Saint-Hubert area. This place will host activities aimed at raising awareness, for young and old, about ecology and urban agriculture.
The planting event organized for National Tree Day gathered around 15 volunteers who planted 36 fruit trees and shrubs, as well as 300 perennial plants. This planting took place on a site which had previously been depaved by hand by around sixty volunteers to green the Laflèche neighbourhood.
PHOTO CREDIT: Angle Psy, multidisciplinary production company
“ Is there anything more beautiful than a planting event for shared gardens?
If most people contributed, we could eradicate hunger in the WORLD.
What I notice as the official photographer of conscious change and community volunteer is that we removed the asphalt and the fence that was there at the beginning, so that there is no barrier left between us, and we depaved the area so that nature could regain its power and in order to remove any limitations! Soon, we’ll reap the fruit of today’s planting. There’s nothing more concrete and more important for a healthy world. Food is fundamental. Biology is LIFE!!!
So be it! ”
– Roxanne Melissa Guerra-Lacasse, committed citizen
Organized by Ecoparc Cormier-Village and Vision H2O
Cormier-Village, New Brunswick
Vision H2O is collaborating with Cormier-Village to create an Ecopark in the forest located just behind the community centre. The goal of the Ecopark is to raise awareness and educate the public on the importance of the diverse ecosystems of the region and to encourage their preservation. For National Tree Day, a tree planting event was organized to help compensate for the damage caused by Hurricane Fiona.
“To mark National Tree Day and help regenerate the Acadian forest after Hurricane Fiona, 314 trees were planted on hiking trails and new Disc Golf trails in Cormier-Village, NB. Thank you to Vision H2O and participants.”
– Ecoparc Cormier-Village
Organized by Town of Kerrobert
Kerrobert, Saskatchewan
On National Tree Day the Town of Kerrobert organized a community tree planting event, serving snacks and refreshments for volunteers who came down to plant 60-80 trees at the Kerrobert Fairgrounds.
“We had 48 volunteers come out for our event. We would like to thank everyone for choosing to give their time to our event. We had community support, a great group of volunteers, and were able to do our part to help make our community a little greener. We are so fortunate to be a part of such an amazing community.”
– Marli Shepherd, Recreation Director for the Town of Kerrobert
Organized by The Township of Selwyn
Selwyn, Ontario
Selwyn Township launched an entire ReLeaf Program! They made 375 trees available for residents to purchase in order to support restoration efforts following a storm where many trees were damaged. Residents were able to reserve their trees in advance and pick them up before National Tree Day.
“Selwyn Township’s ReLeaf Program provided native trees to residents, helping to replace trees that were damaged or lost from a storm, as well as enhancing the local environment and supporting climate change action.”
– Lily Morrow, Sustainability Coordinator for Township of Selwyn
We hope to have even more events registered for National Tree Day next year! Will yours be one of them?
Our deepest thanks to all the organizers of all these community events. You are inspiring and enabling others to take action to green our planet.
See you next National Tree Day!
