Councillor Ian Findlay was on hand today as the City of Guelph distributed free trees to city residents. The Adopt-a-Tree event was made possible thanks to a $15,000 TD Green Streets grant.
“Guelph was one of 25 communities from across Canada to receive a 2013 TD Green Streets grant,” remarked Councillor Findlay. “I want to thank the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation and Tree Canada for their incredible support. Our City matched the grant to provide new trees to 300 Guelph households, an especially welcome gift in a year that saw many trees lost in heavy storms.”
Guelph residents were invited to register for a tree on a first-come, first-served basis beginning August 15. Registrations filled quickly and the 300 trees were claimed in less than three weeks.
Native trees given to residents included oak, maple and birch species. Soil, light and other growing conditions were used to select the best tree for each yard. A watering bag, mulch mat and care guide were provided with each tree.
“The goal of TD Green Streets is to encourage the adoption of leading-edge practices in municipal forests, and we want to commend the City of Guelph for developing a plan that will provide such a great enhancement to the environment,” said Mary Desjardins, Executive Director, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. “The Adopt-a-Tree event is a great model of community engagement.”
“We congratulate the City of Guelph for developing an initiative that will create an important green space in their community,” said Michael Rosen, President of Tree Canada. “We’re pleased that we have been able to support the efforts of Guelph and we look forward to seeing their plan come to life.”
Applications to the 2013 TD Green Streets program were open to Canadian municipalities, First Nations communities and Business Improvement Associations (BIAs) in Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto. All submissions were reviewed by regional Tree Canada Advisors, Board Members, urban forest practitioners and TD Friends of the Environment Foundation representatives based on innovation, community involvement and technical expertise.
For more information about tree care and Guelph’s Urban Forest Management Plan, visit guelph.ca/trees.
For more information on the 2013 TD Green Streets winning submissions, visit www.tdgreenstreets.ca.