Minister of Natural Resources, Trees Ontario, TRCA & Local School Group Plant Eight-Millionth Tree During Earth Week

Planting Milestone Reached as part of Ontario Government’s
50 Million Tree Program

April 20, 2011 - Southern Ontario - Ontario planted the eight-millionth tree today as part of a commitment to plant 50 million new trees to help fight climate change and grow a greener, cleaner province.  Trees Ontario, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, and grade 7 students from St. Ambrose Catholic school joined the Honourable Linda Jeffrey, Minister of Natural Resources to recognize the planting of 8 million trees to date under the 50 Million Tree Program.

Students from St. Ambrose Catholic school planting the 8-millionth tree with the Honourable Linda Jeffrey, Minister of Natural Resources.

Trees help clean the air our children and grandchildren breathe. They also help increase wildlife habitat, provide shade and help prevent flooding. These eight million trees will absorb enough carbon dioxide to clean the air of the emissions made by approximately 8,000 cars annually.

"Trees help fight climate change and clean the air our children and grandchildren breathe,” said Linda Jeffrey, Minister of Natural Resources. “They also providing places for birds to live and help provide shade for our homes. The 50 million trees we're planting will make our province a better place for generations to come."

Working with Trees Ontario and its partners, Ontario is supporting large-scale tree planting by landowners - and encouraging Ontarians to plant more trees.

David Barrow, Mayor of Richmond Hill; the Honourable Linda Jeffrey, Minister of Natural Resources; Brian Denney, CAO, TRCA; John Cary, Trees Ontario, Founding Chair, and Robert Keen, Trees Ontario, CEO.

"Trees Ontario is thrilled to continue being the lead delivery agent for the Ontario government's 50 Million Tree Program. As an organization, and on behalf of our partners, we are proud to be recognizing the planting of eight million trees under this program since its inception in 2007,” said Trees Ontario CEO, Robert H Keen. “We look forward to continue growing tree-planting levels province-wide in coming years and to planting 50 million trees by 2020 under this program.”

Protecting Ontario's environment is part of the government's Open Ontario Plan to build a stronger economy, clean up our air and create jobs, while protecting our families.

"I applaud everyone who is making an effort to fight climate change. Individual actions - whether it is taking public transit more often, fixing a dripping faucet or planting a tree - really do make a difference, " said John Wilkinson, Minister of Environment.

QUICK FACTS ABOUT THE 50 MILLION TREE PROGRAM

•    This program is part of Ontario's commitment to the global United Nations' Billion Tree Campaign.
•    More than 1,000 landowners have taken part in the 50 Million Tree program to date.
•    Trees Ontario, working with its partners, is delivering the program through the largest,
not-for-profit tree planting partnership in North America.
•    The eight millionth tree was planted on a site in the Oak Ridges Moraine - one of over 93,000 trees to be planted at the site this year.

LEARN MORE

o    Find out if you're eligible for Ontario's 50 Million Tree Program.
o    This is the International Year of Forests. Find out more about Ontario's forests.
o    Learn more about Trees Ontario.