Annual Community Planting Weekend Supports Local Greening Efforts
TORONTO, May 5, 2012 /CNW/ - Trees Ontario, CAA South Central Ontario and planting partners, kicked off the spring planting season this week with a series of community tree planting events held in eight communities across Ontario. Plantings took place in public spaces needing to be re-greened, giving local residents the opportunity to plant their very own local legacy. The first eight plantings took place on May 5th and will be followed by a planting at the Toronto Zoo on May 9th.
The planting events brought out CAA members along with their friends, families, and fellow community members for a half-day event in which they learned not only about the practical aspects of tree planting, but also how our own health is directly connected to a sustainable ecosystem. More than 550 volunteers came out to plant 3275 trees, the first of three million that Trees Ontario plans to plant this season.
"CAA South Central Ontario is proud to have partnered with Trees Ontario for a fourth consecutive year," said Nick Parks, President and CEO, CAA SCO. "We are committed to doing our part to help preserve the planet through tree planting and other environmental initiatives."
Trees clean the air we breathe, filter the water we drink, offset carbon emissions, and are the natural base for many of the industries that fuel Ontario's growth and prosperity. In addition, an increasing amount of scientific and medical research has detailed the health benefits associated with forests. Forests and green spaces have been associated with declines in asthma, heart disease, diabetes, stress, and childhood attention deficit disorders. The health of the natural environment is crucial to the health and well-being of future generations.
"Trees Ontario's mandate is to support large scale tree planting, province wide," said Robert H. Keen, CEO, Trees Ontario. "Community planting events not only allow us to work toward this goal, but also include the participation of families and youth who will inherit Ontario's natural landscape and environment. By gathering members of the community to plant trees, Trees Ontario and the CAA are proudly laying the foundation of future green leadership in Ontario through local, grass-roots initiatives."
Trees Ontario and its partners are thankful to all the families and community groups who dug, stomped and mulched in rain and shine to participate in a very meaningful project that will have significant environmental benefits for various communities throughout Ontario.
About Trees Ontario
Trees Ontario is a not-for-profit tree planting partnership. Our goal is to increase this support to 10 million trees per year across the province, to encourage better health and wellness for all Ontarians. For more information, please visit www.treesontario.ca.
About CAA
CAA South Central Ontario is a not-for-profit auto club offering insurance, travel, automotive care and roadside services. There are more than 1.8 million CAA members in South Central Ontario and 5 million members in Canada. We're more than Roadside Assistance. We're Life-side Assistance. Visit www.caasco.com.
Image with caption: "Maleeha Mukri, Komaldeep Kaur, Tianna Smith plant trees on May 5th at the annual CAA/Trees Ontario Community Planting Weekend event in Waterloo, ON. (CNW Group/Trees Ontario)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120505_C4707_PHOTO_EN_13185.jpg
For tree planting information contact:
Trees Ontario (toll free) 1.877.646.1193
For more information or to set up an interview, please contact:
Shelley McKay
Marketing & Communications Manager
TREES ONTARIO
P: 416-646-1193 x. 232
E: [email protected]
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