Scouts Canada And Sears Canada Join Together To Plant 200,000 Trees

Eco-Scouts Program Helps Offset Canada's Ecological Footprint

OTTAWA, April 15, 2015 /CNW/ - Spring is a season of renewal and, with it, Scouts Canada and Sears Canada are joining together again this year to engage and educate Canadians about environmental issues and conservation. The 7^th annual Eco-Scouts in-store event, hosted in cooperation with St. Joseph's Communications, kicks off in Sears department stores, Sears Home stores and Sears Hometown stores nationwide from April 17 – 30, 2015.

Canada has the 11^th highest per capita ecological footprint in the world according to World Wildlife Fund's 2014 Living Planet Report. In an effort to reduce Canada's negative environmental impact, Scouting youth ages 5-26 and volunteers plant approximately 200,000 trees each year across the country in the spring and fall as part of the Scoutrees program. Since 1972, Scouts have planted close to 80 million trees. There are also many long established forest sites planted by Scouts dating as far back as 1916.

As part of the Eco-Scouts in-store event at Sears, Scouts will hand out tree saplings and deliver educational games and Scouting activities to patrons. Plus, customers can donate $1 to Scoutrees at any customer service counter.

Individuals wishing to reduce their carbon footprint can also donate directly to Scoutrees at Scouts.ca/scoutrees. A $25 donation enables 12 trees to be planted, while $50 allows for 25 Scoutrees.

"Environmental stewardship has always been a core value of Scouting, and as the government works towards significantly reducing Canada's greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, we are committed to doing our part," said Doug Reid, National Commissioner, Scouts Canada. "With Sears longstanding support of Scoutrees and Eco-Scouts, we are able to educate and inspire our youth to play an important role in protecting the environment to make it a safe and healthy place for future generations."

Scoutrees benefits the environment and youth in six key ways:

• Creating fresh air: two large trees produce 180kg of oxygen each year – that's the amount of oxygen an average person consumes in a year.
• Removing pollutants: one large tree can absorb up to 4.5kg of air pollutants each year. These include ozone, nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide – major contributors of acid rain.
• Improving personal health: trees also remove dust, soot and smoke, resulting in cleaner air and decreasing the risk of adverse health effects.
• Protecting land: trees act as windbreaks, providing shelter from the wind, reduce soil erosion and help to control storm water runoff.
• Providing homes to animals: planting tress helps create new habitats for many birds and other species of animals.
• Educating and inspiring youth: boys, girls and youth, learn about the important individual roles they can play in protecting the environment and are empowered to make a difference.

"Sears has a long history of supporting organizations that provide Canadian youth with opportunities for education and development that complement what they get in school," said Ron Boire, President and CEO, Sears Canada.  "Scouts Canada is a great example of such an organization and Scoutrees is a program that provides a hands-on way of taking responsibility in helping make our world a better place to live.  We wish all members of the Scouting community much success with this year's program and are pleased to provide an opportunity for Canadians to contribute to such a worthy cause." 

ABOUT SCOUTS CANADA
Kids in Scouts have fun adventures, discovering new things and experiences they wouldn't discover elsewhere. Along the way, they develop into capable, confident and well-rounded individuals, better prepared for success in the world. For tens of thousands of children and youth across Canada, Scouts is the start of something great. Scouts Canada is the country's leading co-ed youth organization. Scouts Canada offers programming for children and youth aged 5-26 in multiple languages, reflecting Canada's multicultural landscape and communities. For more information, visit Scouts.ca.

Scouts Canada is a not-for-profit organization (Charitable Registration No. 10776 1694 RR0028) and a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement.

ABOUT SEARS CANADA
Sears Canada is a multi-channel retailer with a network that includes 172 corporate stores, 201 Hometown stores, over 1,300 catalogue and online merchandise pick-up locations, 96 Sears Travel offices and a nationwide repair and service network. The Company also publishes Canada's most extensive general merchandise catalogue and offers shopping online at www.sears.ca.

SOURCE Scouts Canada

Image with caption: "Since 1972, Scouts of all ages have planted over 80 million trees across Canada. (CNW Group/Scouts Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150415_C1524_PHOTO_EN_14324.jpg

Image with caption: "Scoutrees gives Scouts the opportunity to demonstrate their concern for the environment. (CNW Group/Scouts Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150415_C1524_PHOTO_EN_14325.jpg

Media Contact for Scouts Canada: Andrea McLoughlin, Holmes PR, [email protected], 416-628-5609; For Sears: Alicia Richler, [email protected], 416-941-4423

Related Links

http://scouts.ca