One Tree Planted and Forests Ontario partner to plant 17.5 million trees over five years

• Creating healthy, new forests is one of the most effective, nature-based solutions in combating climate change and mitigating the impacts of climate change, including extreme weather.
• With the help of their planting partners, One Tree Planted (92+ million) and Forests Ontario / Forest Recovery Canada (41+ million) have collectively planted more than 133 million trees.

BARRIE, ON, April 4, 2023 /CNW/ - In an effort to give back to the environment, create a healthier climate, protect biodiversity, and help forest restoration efforts throughout Canada, One Tree Planted is partnering with Forests Ontario and its national division, Forest Recovery Canada, to plant 17.5 million trees over the next five years.

"We are excited to bring our partnership with Forests Ontario to the next level," Matt Hill, Founder & Chief Environmental Optimist, One Tree Planted, says. "Together, we will plant millions of trees across Canada over the next five years. We look forward to everything we will be able to accomplish for forests, biodiversity, and communities."

One Tree Planted is a non-profit that is focused on global reforestation. Since 2014, they have planted over 92 million trees in 80+ countries across North America, Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Pacific. Their work is done in partnership with local communities and knowledgeable experts to create lasting impact for nature, people, and wildlife.

Forests Ontario and its partners have developed the expertise and infrastructure to grow and track tree planting from seed to healthy forest. Through its comprehensive network of partners and programs, Forests Ontario and Forest Recovery Canada have planted more than 41 million trees, resulting in 20,500 hectares of new forest created across more than 8,300 project sites.

"Our earliest work with One Tree Planted was identifying one-off planting sites for support and we are excited to grow that partnership into a collaboration that will see the creation of healthy forests across our country," Rob Keen, Chief Executive Officer of Forests Ontario, and Registered Professional Forester, says. "We are very proud of this partnership with One Tree Planted and that Forests Ontario is an integral part of our combined efforts to plant new forests in Canada."

Creating healthy, new forests is one of the most effective, nature-based solutions in combating climate change and over their lifetime, these trees will sequester significant amounts of carbon and mitigate the impacts of climate change, including extreme weather and flooding while reducing biodiversity loss.

"This partnership with Forests Ontario is an incredible opportunity to elevate restoration and reforestation in Canada to new levels," Stephanie Clement, Canada Project Manager at One Tree Planted, says. "We are thrilled to be supporting Forests Ontario in planting millions of trees, restoring Canada's forests, and making a positive impact for local communities on the ground."

"The benefits locally are really quite extraordinary," Elizabeth Celanowicz, Chief Operating Officer, Forests Ontario, says. "Ensuring successful tree planting requires the integration and support from highly skilled individuals along the entire tree planting supply chain, including seed collectors, nursery workers and professional tree planters providing green jobs in rural communities. We can't wait to start our new planting season."

About Forests Ontario & Forest Recovery Canada

Forests Ontario is the province's leading charity dedicated to the creation, preservation, and maintenance of forest and grassland habitats. Our ambitious, large-scale tree planting initiatives, extensive educational programs, and decades of community outreach result in millions of trees being planted each year.

Together with our national division, Forest Recovery Canada, we work with our many partners across the country to plant native trees and ensure our efforts today thrive and grow into tomorrow's diverse, healthy, and resilient forests.

Forests Ontario is the voice for our forests.

Learn more at www.forestsontario.ca or follow us @Forests_Ontario on Twitter to find out more.

About One Tree Planted

One Tree Planted is a non-profit on a mission to make it simple for anyone to help the environment by planting trees. Their projects span the globe and are done in partnership with local communities and knowledgeable experts to create an impact for nature, people, and wildlife. Reforestation helps to rebuild forests after fires and floods, provide jobs for social impact, and restore biodiversity. Many projects have overlapping objectives, creating a combination of benefits that contribute to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

Learn more at www.onetreeplanted.org. 

SOURCE Forests Ontario