On May 7th, city staff, volunteers and community members participated in a tree planting event at William Beagle Park, in Surrey, B.C. A total of 46 large trees were planted to increase tree canopy coverage and provide shade for park visitors. This project was made possible with the help of Tree Canada’s Treemendous Communities grant program and the generous support of project sponsor, UPS.
Check out photos from the Surrey planting event.
William Beagle Park is your typical neighbourhood park, used by residents and students from David Brankin Elementary School. Covered with open passive grass and a small playground, the park has a small forested natural area around its edge.
Students will now have a chance to learn about the new trees and to use the park as an outdoor classroom. The City of Surrey has developed resources for teachers to take their learning outdoors and to help students connect with the local urban forest.
“Providing opportunities for our community to get involved with caring for our urban forest is one of our top priorities,” says Neal Aven, Manager of Parks at the City of Surrey. “With support from the Treemendous Communities grant, we were able to extend the reach of our own Releaf tree planting program, allowing us to plant more trees and involve more members of our community in caring for their parks.”
Tree Canada’s community tree grants aim to reduce the effects of climate change and its costly impacts on communities and to increase the quality of life of residents. We are encouraged to see sponsors, like UPS, take meaningful actions to support tree planting across Canada.
“For UPS, sustainability means more than going green,” says Whilna Stewart-Franklin, Canada Region Community Relations Director for UPS and The UPS Foundation. “It’s about the safety and well-being of people, our employees and customers, and delivering what matters by helping to create stronger, more resilient communities”
By supporting greening initiatives, municipalities and their communities can benefit from services such as a reduction in heat islands, improved air quality, reduced noise pollution and improved stormwater retention.
The social, psychological, and economic benefits of Canada’s urban forests are worth preserving. Because of this, we’ve dedicated ourselves to championing, stewarding and expanding our urban forests since 1992. The impact of supporting projects like the one in Surrey, B.C., seems immeasurable. And that’s why we do it!
Tree Canada’s Treemendous Communities program encourages and supports community tree planting projects to create long-lasting benefits for local populations. This grant program supports greening projects wherever people live, work or play, with up to $10,000 in funding available per project.
Our Treemendous Communities program will be accepting grant applications this Fall. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to be the first to hear about it!
Check out these photos from the Surrey planting event:
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