On Saturday, 22nd April 2017, the City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division organised a tree planting event in honour of Earth Day. More than 70 members of the Sathya Sai Centre of Toronto-York joined with nearly 350 other volunteers, including members of 10 other organisations, in planting 800 native trees and shrubs in Earl Bales Park, North York. After a tutorial demonstrating the correct method of planting the trees and shrubs, the volunteers worked in teams, placing biodegradable mats around each tree and covering them with mulch for sustained growth and nourishment. Toronto, Canada’s largest city, has an urban forest of an estimated 10.2 million trees covering 18,000 hectares. A growing body of research supports the importance of maintaining healthy, sustainable urban forests that absorb water, clean the air, provide shade, reduce erosion and flooding, decrease heating and cooling costs, and increase property values. This event helped Toronto Forestry Division achieve its goal of reaching a 40% green canopy cover in the city.

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