THE TREES FOR HEROES CAMPAIGN
Hero Forests – Living Tributes in Communities Across Canada
Continuing the Highway of Heroes tradition of creating living legacies, Trees for Life is proud to support the planting of trees that pay tribute to ALL the heroes who improve our communities and our country. These heroes may include first responders, front-line and healthcare workers, the military, teachers, loved ones, and others. A hero is in the eye of the beholder! Trees for Life has launched a new campaign to plant 1 million more Trees for Heroes by the end of 2028. In the early stages, much of our focus will be on honouring healthcare heroes.
THE “HERO FOREST” CONCEPT
Trees for Life is actively seeking opportunities to create Hero Forests. We are collaborating with municipal partners, conservation authorities, and other tree-planting groups to identify publicly accessible green spaces and parks where groves of trees can be planted, and ideally dedicated to local heroes as a thank-you for making our communities better places to live. The Hero Forests will be an example of what can be accomplished when a community unites to honour its heroes through the act of planting trees, and how collaboration between citizens, non-profits, the corporate sector, and government can contribute to local tree planting goals. All Hero Forests will follow the same format, but no two will be alike.
INSPIRATIONAL AND IMMERSIVE DESIGNS
Public green spaces with the greatest need and/or opportunity to add trees will be identified and notable landscape architects and designers can be enlisted to create inspired Hero Forests. The sites will be as unique as the communities in which they are planted and include experiential elements.
RECOGNITION, ENGAGEMENT, AND EDUCATION
Permanent signage will direct to a website that explains the installation, lists sponsors, and names the heroes being honoured, and the website can grow with the installation. The forests will create public engagement opportunities including volunteer plantings, publicity, and media events across multiyear project phases. Hero Forests can be further enhanced with outdoor shade structures, walkways, and interpretive signage.
A SHARED INVESTMENT
Hero Forests will be made possible by collaborating and sharing resources between multiple partners. The projects will be lasting legacies for generations to come and proof of Trees for Life’s ability to bring together diverse communities with a common purpose to augment, amplify and accelerate the results.
Frequently Asked Questions
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• Municipalities are responsible for locating space within their jurisdictions and delivering from 25 to 75% of the cost of the project.
• Trees for Life will coordinate with its funding partners to provide the remaining % of the funding.
• 1 to 5 Hectares. It might be a parkette, part of a park, a right of way, or any suitable space.
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• Trees for Life is the aggregator for the program and we can facilitate in several ways:
providing ideas to help with fundraising
concept development
source planting partners and contractors and professional design services tree sourcing
connect promotional channels to support community engagement
coordinate Hero Forest signage
host and manage the website for the national network of Hero Forests - the virtual gathering place for honourees
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• Anywhere from 1-5 hectares.
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• The cost per hectare is approx. $20,000-$30,000 based on a planting density of 400 trees/hectare + any additional costs for elements such as permanent signage, hardscaping, pollinators, and other plants as desired. The cost or value of aftercare and maintenance should also be considered.
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• Approximately 400/600 trees per hectare, site dependant.
• Trees will be sourced by the municipality, Trees for Life, or a collaboration between us.
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• Only native species will be considered with a goal to enhance biodiversity and to ensure the right tree is in the right place, all species and plans are unique to the identified site.
• We have found that 2 to 3-gallon container plants are ideal for larger urban and suburban plantings. Seedlings are too small. In some cases caliper size trees may be more suitable, however they are more costly.
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• In $50, $75, and $150 price points corresponding to tree size.
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• Tree-planting coordination can include volunteer planting, corporate employee engagement days, private contractors, municipality parks staff and conservation authority staff. Each community site may be different depending on interest and resources.
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• Maintenance is the responsibility of the municipality, conservation authority, or other entity currently responsible for maintaining the chosen site. Weed control and watering are crucial to success. Maintenance should be for 3 years.
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• The heart of the Hero Forest concept is that trees are planted to celebrate and recognize local heroes. The term “Heroes” is broadly defined and may include healthcare heroes, first responders, family members, employees, teachers, or coaches to name a few.
• People unite around a desire to honour others who are meaningful to them. In addition, we envision a network of “Hero Forests” all over Canada, connected by a website that will permanently recognize community heroes.
• Trees for Life is a facilitator and funding aggregator for the 2 Billion Trees Program along with the FCM. Trees for Life can direct 2BTP funding towards eligible projects in southern Ontario and for those outside of this region, we can help work with municipalities to advise on the best practices to access fundraising via FCM.
• It’s an opportunity to join with other municipalities to create a green network that fosters engagement and community.
• The concept is based on sound fiscal evidence:
Every $1 invested in green infrastructure delivers $8 in additional benefits to the community – an 8x return on investment.
(Halifax Dept of Forestry study 2018)
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• Plants purchased by the public honouring, recognizing, or celebrating their heroes.
• Community fundraising drives.
• Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) 2 Billion Trees fund. The fund will cover up to 50% of the costs for eligible projects.
• City park and forestry budgets.
• Local business and corporate sponsorships.
• Through community service organizations like Rotary and Lions Clubs.
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• This can be done by the municipality or Trees for Life, as needed and it’s flexible.
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• Trees for Life is a facilitator and funding aggregator for the 2 Billion Trees Program along with the FCM. Trees for Life can direct 2BTP funding towards eligible projects in southern Ontario and for those outside of this region, we can help work with municipalities to advise on the best practices to access fundraising via FCM.
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• Trees for Life has a national ad campaign to create broad awareness and will support local efforts as developed by each municipality.