TD Friends of the Environment Foundation and Tree Canada recently announced the 23 communities receiving cash from the 2011 TD Green Streets program – and one of those is Wellington County.
The funds will be used to help the Green Legacy program which will plant 157,000 trees across the county for windbreaks and to increase forest cover from 9% to 17%. Funds will assist in the stock and busing of students to plant the trees.
TD Green Streets awards grants for innovative municipal tree planting initiatives. The 23 recipients will receive grants of up to $15,000 to green their Canadian municipalities. The funds will be used for tree planting, as well as maintenance and educational activities.
This year, TD Green Streets received applications from 103 municipalities, Business Improvement Areas, and First Nations communities across Canada. The selected applications ranged from sustainable tree maintenance and the construction of arboretums to tree watering technology research and tackling urban heat islands.
“We were once again incredibly impressed by the innovative ideas from Canadian municipalities who are making tree planting a priority in their communities,” said Mary Desjardins, Executive Director of TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. “The response exceeded our expectations and I applaud all applicants for placing such importance on creating greener streets.”
Tree Canada President Michael Rosen said, “With 80 per cent of Canadians living in cities and towns, our urban forests deserve greater attention. The [two groups] are focusing much needed resources to help Canadian communities better protect and manage their trees.”
Other Ontario winners of grants were Gananoque, Guelph, Kenora, London, Pickering and Thunder Bay.
