2 Billion Trees Program

The BC Small Wetlands Association is a conservation organization that manages eco-cultural projects that promote social cohesion and the sharing of traditional ecological knowledge through educational outreach programs for youth at risk.

• Number of trees: 7,000
• 2 Billion Trees program contribution: $40,000
• Trees planted: August–November 2021
• Number of sites: 5

The BC Small Wetlands Association (BCSWA) engaged Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth in planting 7,000 trees across 5 sites located on Secwépemc lands in the Shuswap and North Okanagan region of British Columbia.

Interesting Facts

This project includes a strong youth component, hiring Indigenous youth monitors, and developing a traditional ecological knowledge program on the importance of native tree species.

To date, 215 of the 7000 trees have been planted at three different locations to honour the Secwépemc residential school children from Kamloops Indian Residential School.

Redd Fish Restoration Society is a non-profit organization on the west coast of Vancouver Island dedicated to the conservation of wild fish through habitat restoration, research and monitoring.

• Number of trees: 51,070
• 2 Billion Trees program contribution: $180,000
• Trees planted: Summer and fall 2021
• Number of sites: 2

This project is to plant 51,070 trees along the banks of the Hiłsyaqƛis and Atleo Rivers to accelerate the recovery of the two watersheds.

Interesting Facts

This project is related to a larger project by Redd Fish Restoration Society called The Tranquil River Restoration Project, aimed at restoring critical spawning and rearing habitat for endangered wild Chinook and chum salmon.

The larger project worked with traditional knowledge holders to develop a holistic and innovative approach that will see the installation of self-ballasting engineered log jam structures.

Together, the log jam structures and riparian planting will help accelerate the recovery of salmon habitat, while also providing employment opportunities for Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations.

These efforts will improve water quality and increase ecosystem complexity, and will increase ecosystem resiliency and the region’s ability to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

City of Toronto – Largest municipality in Canada.

• Number of trees: 10,000
• 2 Billion Trees program contribution: $196,478
• Trees planted: June-November 2021
• Number of sites: 1

The City of Toronto supported the afforestation of 5.5 hectares of land through the planting of 10,000 native trees, selected for their suitability to site conditions. The trees will contribute to long-term ecological and social benefits to humans and local wildlife. The trees will notably help reduce run off during heavy weather events. The planting of a variety of species will support the City’s key strategies around biodiversity, resilience and growing the urban forest in addition to supporting Toronto’s climate action strategy.

Interesting Facts

The afforested area will provide a significant urban forested area to an area with many high-density housing units.

This project is one of several joint projects between the City of Toronto and the Highway of Heroes Tree Campaign.

The planting of a variety of species will support the City’s key strategies around biodiversity, resilience and growing the urban forest in addition to supporting Toronto’s climate action strategy.

Community Forests International was founded by Canadian tree-planters in 2008 and operates both in Canada and abroad. Community Forests International’s mission is to protect and restore Earth’s climate by enabling communities and forests to thrive together.

• Number of trees: 250,000
• 2 Billion Trees program contribution: $117,730
• Trees planted: June–September 2021
• Number of sites: 1

Community Forests International undertook site preparation, planning and planting activities to plant 250,000 trees on previously clear-cut land located on the Chignecto Isthmus in an effort to restore degraded wildlife habitats.

Interesting Facts

Community Forests International purchased the land in trust to maximize the long-term climate, social, and environmental benefits to Canadians.

The Chignecto Isthmus is a critical land corridor connecting New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. It has been identified as a high priority conservation area nationally and internationally.

ReForest London (RFL) is a registered charity with a mission to plant, grow and sustain urban forests by engaging Londoners to plant and care for trees and to be part of a sustainability-focused future for the community. Since its founding in 2005, ReForest has grown to become London’s largest environmental not-for-profit organization.

• Number of trees: 5,000
• 2 Billion Trees program contribution: $29,722
• Trees planted: Summer 2021–summer 2023
• Number of sites: 20

This project will undertake park naturalizations by working with hundreds of volunteers to partake in afforestation projects in 20 parks. In all, 5,000 native trees will be planted over the course of an estimated 40 events between 2021 and 2023.

Interesting Facts

The project is ongoing and tree planting will continue until summer 2023, providing increased biodiversity and improved habitat quality in London neighbourhoods, parks, and surrounding rural areas, with at least 25 different species of plants.

Shakti is a reforestation company that plants trees for the natural resource sector, government, private industry, and carbon/environmental offsets.

• Number of trees: over 25,000
• 2 Billion Trees program contribution: $26,000
• Trees planted: October 2021-March 2022
• Number of sites: 1

The objective of this project is to plant over 25,000 native trees to reforest 19 hectares across 7 unique growing-condition zones of suburban land. The project will continue a connection to nature for park users and retain a diverse forest.

Interesting Facts

Thirteen native tree varieties will be planted to maintain critical habitat for Species at Risk in Mt. Thom Park, such as Coastal Giant Salamanders, Phantom Orchids, and Tall Bugbane, and create a forest cover resilient to climate change in the future.

Seven permanent monitoring stations will be installed to record visual growth data while creating a tree cover map for future forest interpretation programming.

Silverwood Consulting is a natural resource management consultancy that has served northwest British Columbia for 17 years. Silverwood’s goal is to bring stability and sustainable growth to northwest BC region. Project work is focused in forestry, environmental science, and engineering.

• Number of trees: 6,330
• 2 Billion Trees program contribution: $29,600
• Trees planted: September–October 2021
• Number of sites: 2

The project accelerated the restoration of “at risk” ecosystems and associated wildlife habitat on the Skeena floodplain back towards climax forest conditions by underplanting existing red alder/cottonwood forests with Sitka spruce and western red cedar conifers that also supports long-term carbon sequestration.

The project also supported a Kitsumkalum carbon neutral business goal and provided a regional solution for offsetting large-scale GHG emissions expected to escalate in 2021-22 as the first regional liquefied natural gas producer comes into production.

Interesting Facts

Reforestation added conifers, increased carbon density, and will eventually replace alder forests in 20–40 years (at alder ages 70–100) leading to co-domination with cottonwood in 70–100 years without loss of existing alder/cottonwood carbon sequestration.

The availability of sturdy trees capable of withstanding vegetation press is very important, therefore, Silverwood transplanted seedlings in 2018 and are now available for planting as 3-year-old spruce and red cedar.

SNAP Quebec is a non-governmental organization that is a part of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society and has been active for 10 years. SNAP projects focus on environmental protection/restoration, including tree planting.

• Number of trees: 5,000
• 2 Billion Trees program contribution: $113,750
• Trees planted: Fall 2021
• Number of sites: 1

This project aims to restore the forest ecosystem on l’île Sainte-Thérèse impacted by human activity.

Interesting Facts

SNAP Quebec engaged local residents to help plant the trees and maintain the trees as part of an effort to educate people about the value of protecting biodiversity and the importance of nature-based climate solutions.

ENGO working to provide carbon offsets to businesses and individuals.

• Number of trees: 110,000
• 2 Billion Trees program contribution: $46,750
• Trees planted: Fall 2021
• Number of sites: 2

This project involved purchasing land (not a project expense) to reforest a commercially harvested private woodland to build long-term carbon sinks in perpetuity. This work is outside of any obligation to replant. The objective was to rebuild a true forest rather than just a monoculture, congruent to the knowledge that a diverse forest ecosystem is more resilient to climate or ecological change, and with the belief that a diverse forest eventually sequesters more carbon than a monoculture.

Interesting Facts

Thirteen Towers is actively working to reforest former woodlot areas and convert the land to long-term carbon sinks.

Both of the sites were purchased and taken off the market from a local logging company that had recently logged the sites.

A small number of local residents noticed the planting work being done and stopped by out of curiosity.  One of the sites was very visible (on the side of the TransCanada Highway in southeastern New Brunswick), so there was a scattering of local visitors, plus hundreds of vehicles honking their horns on their way by after they noticed the work being done.

The Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation of Canada is devoted to the conservation and stewardship of whitebark and limber pine ecosystems through partnerships, science-based active management, restoration, research and education, and has been a registered not-for-profit society since 2009.

• Number of trees: 64,400
• 2 Billion Trees program contribution: $151,738
• Trees planted: July–September 2021
• Number of sites: Multiple

The objective of this project was to plant 64,400 trees to restore high elevation forests and woodlands in areas British Columbia and Alberta recently impacted by wildfire, high infection and mortality rates. The project used seedlings grown from locally collected seeds originating from trees showing evidence of heritable resistance to white pine blister rust.

Interesting Facts

Planting Whitebark and Limber Pine species in northern and southern British Columbia and Alberta will help restore the ecological, cultural and recreational values of these wilderness ecosystems, and promote recovery of two endangered tree species.

The planting sites were selected specifically for high wilderness values and high habitat value for grizzly bear and other wildlife dependent on Whitebark Pine.