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
