More trees, please. Six in ten Canadians want more trees planted in community green spaces

The TD Friends of the Environment Foundation invites Canadians to help plant 50,000 trees as part of TD Tree Days

TORONTO, Aug. 20, 2014 /CNW/ - There's no question Canadians value trees. According to recent research from TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF), 96% of Canadians feel it is important to plant trees today in order to sustain a healthy environment and improve the quality of life of future generations and the majority want more trees planted in their communities.  And, while only two in ten Canadians currently donate their time once a year to plant trees or participate in greening projects, two-thirds say they would be likely to volunteer a few hours if they felt it would benefit their community for years to come. That's where TD Tree Days comes in.

Now in its fifth year, TD Tree Days is a grassroots community tree planting program, where a small investment of time pays off in lifelong environmental returns. As the TD flagship volunteer program, TD Tree Days provides TD employees and their families, customers and community partners the opportunity to demonstrate leadership in environmental stewardship in their local communities. This year, throughout September and October, volunteers will plant 50,000 trees at more than 140 events from coast to coast.

"There's no question that Canadians want to see more trees in their neighbourhoods, and the good news is that it's easy to make that happen,"says Mary Desjardins, Executive Director, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. "TD Tree Days is a fun, social way to green a neighbourhood. All it takes is a couple of hours on one day to plant some trees with friends and neighbours, and the community and environmental benefits are instantaneous and long-lasting."

An overwhelming majority of Canadians (95%) agree that planting trees is a great way for people to get involved in enhancing the environment in their communities, and 65% also believe that local volunteers should play a role in helping to maintain local green spaces.

"It's important to me that I contribute to making my community more livable, and planting trees as part of TD Tree Days is such an easy way to make a difference," Joseph Kurian, veteran TD Tree Days volunteer. "Not only am I helping to make the future a little greener, but it's a lot of fun and I've had the opportunity to meet some great people."

Each TD Tree Days planting event is led by a local TD employee volunteer Site Leader and is supported by a team of volunteer Planting Coordinators. Over 50 organizations, including conservation authorities, municipalities and Aboriginal communities support TD Tree Days with technical expertise to ensure that the right trees are properly planted in the right place. In the last four years, thousands of TD Tree Days volunteers - from Brownies to bankers - have planted over 135,000 trees through TD Tree Days. To sign up for a TD Tree Days planting event or for more information, visit www.tdtreedays.com

About the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation Tree Poll:
TD Bank Group commissioned Research House Inc. to conduct an online survey of 1,000 Canadians aged 18 years of age or older. Responses were collected between July 18 and 22, 2014.

About TD Friends of the Environment Foundation:
From schoolyard naturalization and energy conservation, to tree plantings and environmental education, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF) is proud to provide funding to help sustain an incredible array of grassroots environmental programs across the country.  In 2013, TD FEF supported over 900 projects with $4.4 million in funding. Thousands of donors give to TD FEF on a monthly basis, and TD Bank Group contributes in excess of $1 million annually. TD also covers the management costs of running TD FEF, which guarantees 100 per cent of every dollar donated funds environmental projects in the community in which the donation was made. For more information on how to donate and get involved in your community, visit www.tdfef.com.

SOURCE: TD Friends of the Environment Foundation

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Amanda Tran
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