ELORA – Tree Trust – a charitable organization that fights climate change by preserving large legacy trees in a community – has two ways citizens can help as Christmas season approaches.
Number one – buy a Tree Trust donation gift card. Organizers call gift cards “a gift-able way to share your love of big trees with nature-lovers on your list.”
They are available in $25, $50 or $100 denominations and are essentially donations made in the name of the gift card recipient. There is an actual card to put under the tree and a message about the donation.
Tree Trust hires professional arborists to care for legacy trees in communities and plants new saplings to help revitalize urban tree canopies.
“To date, Tree Trust has been able to preserve close to 15 legacy trees in Stratford-Perth, Centre Wellington, the Town of Blue Mountain, and the Toronto Island Community,” organizers state in a press release.
Gift cards can be purchased by calling Jaimie at 519-803-6527, through centrewellington@treetrust.ca, or online at treetrust.ca.
There are also $25 gift cards available in person at:
– The Magic Pebble, 153 Geddes St, Elora;
– Elora-Fergus Tourism, 10 E Mill St., Elora;
– Wreckless Eric at 90 Metcalfe St., Elora; and
– The Vault at 101 St.Andrew St. W. #100, Fergus.
“If you’re like us, you may have found yourself spending a little more time this year appreciating the simple beauty in nature all around us. With Tree Trust, you can help safeguard trees right here in Centre Wellington,” organizers say.
Tree Trust has also introduced natural gas carbon offsets to help fund their tree-saving projects.
In 2018 Canada emitted 20 megatonnes (20 million tonnes) of CO2 from natural gas heating alone. That’s equivalent to the CO2 emissions of 44 million cars annually, organizers say.
But offsetting is easy, they say.
Visit treetrust.ca and select the Home Heating Carbon Output Estimator on the main page. At the bottom of your heating bill is a bar graph of each month’s consumption in cubic metres. Input the sum of the previous 12 months to receive an estimated carbon output and a suggested annual donation.
“Tree Trust is unique because, in addition to tree planting, Tree Trust invests donations in hiring professional arborists to look after mature trees in communities across Southern Ontario.
“By extending the lives of these trees, Tree Trust secures the captured carbon until younger trees are mature enough to aid in the fight against climate change,” reads a press release.
Community members are encouraged to invest in their community’s trees by offsetting their carbon emissions or donating at treetrust.ca.
