78% of Canadians live in urban centres, and the closest that many come to forests are the street trees, parks, woodlots, and tree borders that make up what is called the urban forest.
Healthy forests help to maintain a healthy planet, and urban forests in particular provide a broad spectrum of benefits. Increasing the urban canopy is something many municipalities are working towards, like the Green Timbers Urban Forest in Surrey, BC. The TD Green Streets program helps to support municipalities with grants for urban forestry initiatives.
Urban forests are great for buffering noise. The City of Mississauga developed an innovative Living Wall where willow trees, earth and a wooden frame help to create a natural sound barrier in place of traditional methods like concrete or fencing options.
In many places across the country, tree planting initiatives are used to help with improving the water quality of local communities. Wells acquire their supplies from groundwater, and tree planting helps to reduce the risk of runoff and contamination of the water supply.
Urban trees help promote energy conservation through cooling, shade, and wind reduction. Many local schools, like this school in Saskatoon, SK, develop outdoor classrooms and schoolyard naturalization projects to improve the urban canopy. Schools can apply for funding through the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation.
Summer smog days getting you down? Urban forests help to reduce air pollution. Pictured here is a TD employee with his children in Laval, QC planting trees for TD Tree Days. In 2012, TD employees will plant 40,000 trees in local communities across Canada, the US and the UK.
Forests help to provide important habitat for wildlife, like this rehabilitated eagle that was released by the Atlantic Wildlife Institute near Moncton, NB.
Trees and forests are important to the communities we live in, and TD is committed to helping support environmental projects across the country. Find out more at http://www.tdfef.com
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