Money may not grow on trees, but TD Bank is holding a tree planting event, known as TD Tree Day, at Hawthorne Park on Saturday, October 17.
Part of an urban greening and employee engagement program, TD Tree Days give TD employees, their families, customers, and community partners the chance to promote environmental activism in their communities by highlighting innovative forestry management. TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF) works with municipalities, business improvement associations, conservation authorities, and Aboriginal communities, which support TD Tree Days with technical expertise to ensure that the right tree is properly planted in the right place.
Hawthorne Park and an adjacent vacant property suffered extensive damage from a brush fire on July 4. The City of Nanaimo was awarded a $13,300 grant to plant trees in Hawthorne Park from TD FEF and Tree Canada as part of the TD Green Streets program. Nanaimo was chosen out of 125 applicants for the grant, along with 22 other communities across Canada.
“It’s good for that area because the trees will provide more shade for the playground, as well as more habitats,” said Mandip Kharod, Manager of TD’s Pacific and Prairie Region. “There will be 45 new large calibre trees and 20 small calibre trees.”
In addition, there will be employees providing education to the public on why trees are important for the community and information on the park’s storm water retention pond, as well as what is required from the public to see a project like this thrive, Kharod said.
In the last five years, TD FEF has have helped plant over 185 thousand trees, and will be planting 50 thousand more this year in partnership with Tree Canada, Kharod said.