Plant a tree!

Ontarians are being challenged to plant trees in their yards, neighbourhoods and communities to help green the environment and fight the effects of climate change. The Plant A Tree Challenge is part of the McGuinty government’s plan to plant 50 million trees by 2020 - the most ambitious project of its kind in North America and the single largest commitment to the United Nations Billion Tree Campaign.

Trees clean the air, help combat climate change, increase wildlife habitat, provide shade and help prevent flooding. Planting 50 million trees will result in the storage of about 3.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2054.

In the first phase of the 50 million tree program, the Ministry of Natural Resources will invest up to $4 million and partner with Trees Ontario to work with agencies such as Ontario stewardship councils, conservation authorities and contractors for large-scale tree planting in rural areas of southern Ontario. A website has been set up where residents can share stories and photographs of their tree-planting events, highlight the number of trees they’ve planted and find useful information.