More than 300 trees and shrubs were planted by 40 volunteers in the Jackman Wetland Park on Sept. 29.
The event was part of the ninth annual TD Tree Days, hosted by the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TDFEF).
TD’s flagship volunteer program brings together more than 8,000 volunteers at over 100 sites across Canada to build healthy and vibrant communities, as part of a larger target to plant one million trees by 2030. To date, TD Tree Days program has planted close to 350,000 trees in Canada.
“It was not as warm as we’d like outside on that Saturday, and you could tell the rains were coming, but everything was green and lush,” said TDFEF spokesperson Mandip Kharod.
“But the kids don’t care once they get their hands into the dirt. TD Tree Days is a fantastic program, it’s grown so much, and there were lots of kids among the families who joined in. They’re so genuine, they love to come back and see the progress; there is so much ownership and pride in participating.”
The extensive Jackman Wetland Area is owned by the Township of Langley, and includes the reclaimed former landfill site, located at 272nd Street and 10th Avenue. The wetlands provide significant habitat for wildlife, including migratory birds.
Kharod said her portfolio with the TDFEF includes “green giving” such as the tree planting program that has run for several years now.
The TD Tree Days program runs in this area in partnership with Langley Environmental Partners Society (LEPS), which oversees the details of the planting.
“We work with LEPS to ensure we get the right mix of species and plant them in the right places to ensure the trees’ survivability. We’ve worked with LEPS in the past at this and other sites, providing our donor dollars to each project,” said Kharod.
Kharod also oversees grant applications from municipalities, schools and aboriginal organizations for funding from the TDFEF in amounts ranging from small $1,000 projects to larger projects of as much as $15,000.
“I also work with the grant applicants to help them write their applications, as not all school PACs are great grant writers. I help them make sure they fill it in right,” said Kharod.
“TDFEF has seven chapters in the west, including the Fraser Valley chapter. TD matches those donor dollars in kind, and also cover our positions (salaries) so that all donated funds from within each chapter remain in that chapter to fund projects.”
By working together with TD employees, their families and friends, and community volunteers, TD Tree Days helps to open doors for a more inclusive and sustainable tomorrow by protecting, preserving and enhancing green spaces across the country. Throughout September and October, over 35,000 trees will be planted across the Canadian landscape.
TD Tree Days invests in the health of our urban tree canopies, and offers TD employees, their families, and our community partners, a fun, easy and rewarding way to give back and help green the communities in which they live and work. Launched in 2010 as a national employee engagement program in Canada, TD Tree Days has evolved into TD’s flagship volunteer program, engaging employees, customers and community partners in three countries.
The program is also contributing to The Ready Commitment’s target of helping plant 1 million trees by 2030. Since 2010, more than 20,000 volunteers have helped plant over 340,000 trees in over 270 communities across Canada.
For more information and to register, visit tdtreedays.com
It’s quick and easy to donate to TD FEF using your credit card, and 100 per cent of every dollar you donate goes directly to supporting important environmental projects. See www.tdfef.com
