The greening of Main Street: $300,000 in funding available immediately for municipalities

TD Friends of the Environment Foundation branches out with new Tree Canada partnership

TORONTO, Feb. 23 /CNW/ - TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF) today announced a new partnership with Tree Canada that includes title sponsorship of its flagship Green Streets program over the next three years. Tree Canada is a not-for-profit organization that has planted more than 76 million trees across the country since its inception and manages the ongoing care and maintenance of all of its plantings.

"Green Streets is the only national tree program that works with communities, and it fits perfectly with our goal to preserve and enhance the environment at a grassroots level," said Mary Desjardins, Executive Director, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. "Ultimately, this is about bringing the 'green' back to Main Street - celebrating the health of public spaces in cities and towns across Canada."

TD FEF, through its TD Green Streets program, will award 20 communities with grants for planting and maintaining trees this year which is timely, given that TD FEF is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2010.

TD Green Streets: How it Works

Since 1994, the Green Streets program has provided funding to more than 370 Canadian municipalities to plant and maintain trees. The TD Green Streets program is open to all municipalities and First Nations communities who apply for funding to plant and maintain trees (as part of the launch, the program will be expanded to include Business Improvement Associations in Toronto and Vancouver). Based on the community size and need, grants of up to $15,000 are given with a maximum of 50 per cent of the grant allocated towards the cost of tree planting. The remainder can be used for inventory, maintenance and educational activities.

All submissions are reviewed by regional Tree Canada Advisors, Board Members, urban forest practitioners and representatives from the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation based on innovation, community involvement and technical expertise. Communities who have already received Green Streets funding are also eligible to apply under this year's program.

"Having TD Friends of the Environment Foundation on board is a giant leap forward in our outreach to build stronger, self-sustaining green infrastructure in our communities," said Michael Rosen, President of Tree Canada. "After a one-year search, we are pleased that the Foundation has stepped forward to help raise awareness that trees are vital to the quality of life where we live and work. They are without a doubt, the ideal sponsor for this program."

To apply for funding from TD Green Streets visit www.tdgreenstreets.ca. The announcement of the 20 winners will be made in April.

About Tree Canada:

Tree Canada is a not-for-profit charitable organization established to encourage Canadians to plant and care for trees in urban and rural environments. A winner of the Canadian Environmental Award (2007), Tree Canada engages Canadian companies, government agencies and individuals to support the planting of trees, the greening of schoolyards, and other efforts to sensitize Canadians to the benefits of planting and maintaining trees. To date, more than 76 million trees have been planted, more than 450 schoolyards have been greened, and Tree Canada has organized 8 national urban forest conferences. More information about Tree Canada is available at www.treecanada.ca.

About TD Friends of the Environment Foundation:

Since 1990, TD FEF has provided more than $50 million in funding to over 18,400 grassroots environment and wildlife projects across Canada. In 2009, TD FEF provided more than $4.1 million in support of 899 projects. Thousands of donors give to TD FEF on a monthly basis and TD Bank Financial Group contributes in excess of $1 million annually. TD also covers the management costs of running TD FEF, which guarantees 100 per cent of every dollar donated goes directly to funding environment and wildlife projects in the community where the donation was made. For more information on how to donate and get involved in your community, visit www.tdfef.com.