Tree Canada: Creating a new Canadian holiday: Tree Day!

With the help of MP Royal Galipeau, Tree Canada created National Tree Day – a celebration of all things trees occurring on the Wednesday of every National Forest Week (this year September 25, 2013). This special day was unanimously declared by Parliament and seeks to make all Canadians aware of the amazing benefits of trees and the environment as a whole. Tree Canada has held two national celebrations in Ottawa and has had a hand in hundreds of planting events across the country on National Tree Day.

Planting trees provide a multitude of benefits to communities, which not only include the reduction of carbon dioxide, the provision of shade and cooling, and the reduction in energy costs, but the improvement of overall health and instils a sense of community pride in citizens. Tree planting has the ability to bring the soul of a community together and foster a sense of pride and accomplishment among all generations. Recognizing and fostering this sense of pride is what National Tree Day is all about.

Tree Canada provides an online registry for community groups and schools to register their National Tree Day events. Events can include tree planting, talking about trees, going for a nature walk, tree identification, etc.

This year for National Tree Day, Tree Canada has created the National Tree Day Challenge which encourages Canadians to go online and plant a virtual tree. For every one virtual tree that is planted, tree Canada will plant one real tree, up to 10,000 trees! Every person who plants a virtual tree is then entered to win a trip to Banff, Alberta.

For more information on National Tree Day, visit www.nationaltreeday.ca