Trees Ontario, the largest not-for-profit tree planting partnership in North America, has launched a new initiative to get homeowners planting more trees.
The new annual Do-it-Yourself Forest Program encourages Ontarians to plant trees by offering a rebate program on bulk seedling purchases.
Launched early last week, the
DYI Forest Program offers landowners a $0.10 saving each seedling purchased in quantities of 50 to 500.
Here's how it works: From now until March 31, 2014, eligible customers who complete a Trees Ontario quiz (available
here) can then download a seedling discount coupon. Customers can then use the coupon at one of three participation nurseries (which they must get in touch with within three weeks of downloading their coupon):
Ferguson Forest Centre,
Pineneedle Farms and
Somerville Seedlings. Tree seedling pick-ups then occur from April to May, 2014 to coincide with the year's planting season.
"DIY Forest offers a great opportunity for landowners to learn about and contribute to environmental stewardship," said Rob Keen, CEO of Trees Ontario. "For a relatively small investment, landowners can take pride in the trees they've planted and watch them mature into a healthy forest that will provide ecological services for generations to come."
And because particpation in the program requires customers to read Trees Ontario's
Planting 101 tips and complete the required quiz, Keen hopes the project will also help dismentiante information on planting techniques and the larger benefits of trees and forests.
"I think that people get that trees produce oxygen and take in carbon," says Keen. "But there are lots of other things that trees and forests do for us—for instance, absorbing pollutants, cleaning the air, controlling flooding, purifying water, providing recreation space—that people don't think about."
Writer: Katia Snukal
Source: Trees Ontario