Earth Day Canada is joining an ambitious worldwide campaign to grow the global forest by planting 7.8 billion trees, one for every person on the planet, by 2020.
It kicks off this month with the organization’s first ever “crowd-planting” campaign, #Rooting4Trees, found online at EarthDay.ca.
The goal is to have a commitment of 25,000 trees secured by the end of April (Earth Month).
Participants receive perks in return for pledges and can sign up for tree-planting events on National Tree Day.
“If we could plant 25,000 trees every day until 2020, we’d reach 35 million trees, one for every person in Canada,” says Deb Doncaster, president of Earth Day Canada.
“That’s in line with international targets, and it’s where we need to be. This is our way of demonstrating not just the need for reforestation but the drive Canadians have to make it happen.”
To spread awareness about the #Rooting4Trees campaign, Earth Day Canada is inviting the public to stop by the organization’s headquarters in Toronto during the month of April to experience, first-hand, the healing benefits of forestbathing.
A clawfoot tub surrounded by an array of native tree species will be set up on the front lawn, where bathers will be encouraged to take a “selfie” and share it on social media to promote the crowd-planting effort.
Those who contribute to the campaign are also invited to add their digital signature to a newly designed Earth Flag, featuring work by award-winning Canadian artist Charles Pachter.
The flag is already signed by over 250,000 people from across the country.
The 30-by-50 foot Earth Flag is to be unveiled at 12:30pm on April 15, at the Green Living Show in Toronto.
About Earth Day Canada
Celebrated every year on April 22, Earth Day is the largest environmental event in the world. More than six million Canadians participate in an Earth Day activity in their communities. The group partners with and support hundreds of organizations across the country, as they engage Canadians in annual celebrations of this special day. Founded in 1990, Earth Day Canada is a national environmental charity.
The group offers free, year-round, awardwinning programs to educate and inspire Canadians to reach local environmental solutions.
Its mission is to foster and celebrate environmental respect, action and behavioural change that lessens the human impact on the earth.
Visit www.earthday.ca for more information.
