Through our partnership with One Tree Planted, GIC reinforces its environmental commitment, extending our sustainable efforts from waste management to global reforestation. With every service we provide, we plant a tree, symbolizing our dedication to ecological health and a greener future.
Our environmental dedication goes beyond our core business operations. Collaborating with One Tree Planted, we take active steps in global reforestation efforts, contributing to the restoration of natural habitats, supporting wildlife, and combating climate change.
The benefits of our tree-planting efforts extend far beyond mere reforestation. Each tree we plant is a step towards bolstering climate resilience, enriching biodiversity, and fostering community involvement. These trees play a crucial role in restoring ecological balance, offering habitats for wildlife, and contributing to the health of our planet. They also serve as vital carbon sinks, absorbing CO2 and mitigating the effects of climate change. By integrating tree planting into our waste management services, we're not just disposing of waste responsibly; we're actively participating in creating a healthier, more sustainable world, one tree at a time.
Partnering with One Tree Planted is a key part of our strategy to offset carbon emissions. For the average GIC customer we estimate that our partnership with One Tree Planted will offset over 2 million pounds of C02 and produce over 10 million pounds of clean air for our communities and future generations to enjoy. So far GIC and our Customer Partners have planted the seeds of over 1 billion pounds of clean air production and C02 reductions!
We focus our tree planting in areas cherished by our customers, enhancing the local and global environment alike. From burned forest restoration to returning native species to Canadas stunning landscapes, our planting efforts are tailored to where they're most needed.
Our Recent planting sites range Canada-wide from British Columbia to Ontario
We share inspiring stories from One Tree Planted's various projects, showcasing the real-world impact of our partnership. These narratives highlight the local and global environmental benefits, underlining the powerful effect of each tree planted.
Trees and forests are integral components of healthy ecosystems that support healthy communities. They provide places in the community for outdoor recreation with biking and hiking trails, opportunities for neighbourhood gatherings in our green spaces, and places to play in our local parks. Our own mental and physical health and well-being are intricately interconnected with the health of our natural environment. Not only do green spaces encourage us to get outside and get active, but being around trees has proven to improve our mood, memory, and cognition. Forests and green spaces have also been linked to a significant decline in stress, improved rehabilitation, faster hospital recovery rates, and a decrease in the severity of symptoms in attention deficit disorders. By highlighting the links between human health and the health of rural and urban forests, Forests Ontario’s tree planting initiatives will stimulate collaborative action to significantly enhance and restore forest cover across Canada.
Larose Forest was established in 1928, when degraded and abandoned agricultural lands were acquired and trees were planted primarily to stabilize soils and mitigate flood and drought impacts. Since 1928, more than 11,000 hectares of property have been acquired and over 18 million trees have been planted. The properties that form part of Larose Forest are currently forested, both from natural and planted origin. Larose Forest is currently operating under a forest management plan and we undertake sustainable forest operations annually. One of the objectives for Larose Forest is to naturalize the original tree plantations through forest operations and tree planting to augment natural regeneration. For this project, tree planting is being used to facilitate the transition to forest types that existed prior to European settlement, to re-introduce or increase the abundance of species that were once more common to the region, to enhance wildlife habitat and to promote resilience in the face of climate change.
This project focuses on reforesting areas in British Columbia impacted by the 2017 Plateau Fire, which saw limited natural regeneration. Targeting areas with scarce natural regrowth, especially those lacking diverse species, the project aims to plant native tree species like hybrid spruce and Douglas-fir, enhancing biodiversity. The reforestation involves planting 1800 seedlings per hectare, with seedlings grown at nurseries and planted by professionals. This effort not only aids in ecological recovery but also supports wildlife, stabilizes soil, and benefits local communities, including the Nazko First Nation, through job creation and economic impact.