TD Bank Protects Forests in Sustainability Missions

With local outposts in the Philadelphia area, TD Bank is helping to improve our quality of life with trees.

TD Bank’s missions include TD Tree Days and Green Streets, increasing urban forests and green spaces.

TD Tree Days

Partnering with the Nature Conservancy of Canada and the US, they’ve protected 1846 acres (1420 football fields!) of trees and helped with tree planting. Launched in 2010, Tree Days will plant over 45,000 trees with volunteers in over 165 communities.

You can volunteer during the TD Tree Days too. Local sites include Liney Ditch Park in Camden, Veterans Field & Westmont Playground in Collingdale, PA and Dupont Environmental Education Center in Wilmington, DE.

TD Forests

After they plant the trees, TD makes sure to follow up with the flip side of conservation: TD Forests aims to protect forests across North America. Forests capture solar energy, create oxygen, provide essentials to birds, fish & wildlife and temper the effects of global warming.

The forests are protected permanently by conservation groups with monitoring and documenting.

TD Green Streets

Even in the city (as we in Philly are well-aware!), urban canopies sequester air pollutants, conserve energy with cooling & shade, and increase property value. It’s been proven that trees in urban settings also help with psychological well-being and improve aesthetics.  That’s why TD Forests is also increasing the numbers of urban trees, raising benefits of the forest ecosystems.

TD Bank has also partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to launch TD Green Streets, a new grant program to support forestry with innovative practices. There’s 10 $20,000 grants that help low-to-moderate-income neighborhoods, which include 2013 recipients Wilmington, DE, Cheltenham Township, PA & Newark NJ.

Green Streets uses innovative planting techniques to increase trees, shrubs & plants as an integrated part of urban design.

Why does TD Bank sponsor forests?

Banks tend to use a lot of paper in business operations and while working with customers – which is why TD bank is focusing on trees and forests in its philanthropic missions. They work with sustainably managed forests and use recycled content where possible, but want to emphasize responsible paper use. The amount of forests they protect is equivalent to the amount of paper they use.

Plus, they polled their customers to see which natural areas needed protection, and 90% of respondents named forests.

 

Readers, have you participated in any of these tree programs? What do you think about TD Bank’s efforts?

 

Photos: Simon Wilson