From Screen Time to Tree Time

Tree Canada and SFI® make learning about trees and nature fun with a new visual booklet

OTTAWA, Sept. 24, 2014 /CNW/ - Connecting young Canadians with nature is a challenge in today's world of smartphones, video games, and other hi-tech gadgets. In honour of National Tree Day, Tree Canada and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative^® Inc. (SFI) are making connecting with nature easier and more appealing with a new visual educational booklet for youth and adults across Canada.

"In today's increasingly urbanized world, it can be difficult for children and adults to be in touch with the outdoors and to learn about nature," said Michael Rosen, President of Tree Canada. "Canada's Arboreal Emblems booklet is the perfect way to promote the importance of Canada's provincial trees while raising people's awareness of what they offer to our lives.  Trees make our lives happier and more beautiful, screen wind and noise, reduce energy demand, and give us forest products. Without trees, we would be in a world of trouble."

Educating youth and raising awareness about Canada's forests is an important focus for Tree Canada and SFI. The partnership between SFI and Tree Canada is designed to encourage communities to work together to build awareness and ensure the health of Canada's future forests for generations to come.

This partnership is possible thanks to SFI's Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant Program, which has awarded Tree Canada with a grant to support the fourth edition of Canada's Arboreal Emblems. This booklet provides readers with a description of each provincial and territorial tree and outlines how each tree can be identified in the forest, where it can be planted and how it can be utilized. Three thousand copies of the booklet have been printed on SFI paper and are being distributed to schools and stewardship partners across Canada.

"There is no better time than now to reconnect kids with our forests and grow a better place for all of us to live. This booklet will help strengthen connections between healthy forests, healthy kids and the sustainable communities we want to live in," said Kathy Abusow, President and CEO of SFI Inc.

In 2010, SFI made an initial investment of $400,000 to create the Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant Program. That investment is fostering partnerships and supporting conservation research to help the forests of the future thrive across North America.

For more information about the SFI Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant Program, visit sfiprogram.org/community-conservation/conservation-community-partnerships-grant-program/.

About SFI Inc.
SFI Inc. is an independent, nonprofit organization that is solely responsible for maintaining, overseeing and improving the internationally recognized Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) program. Across the United States and Canada, more than 100 million hectares are certified to the SFI forest management standard. In addition, the SFI program's unique fiber sourcing requirements promote responsible forest management on all suppliers' lands. SFI chain-of-custody (COC) certification tracks the percentage of fiber from certified forests, certified sourcing and post-consumer recycled content. SFI on-product labels identify both certified sourcing and COC claims to help consumers make responsible purchasing decisions. SFI Inc. is governed by a three-chamber board of directors representing environmental, social and economic sectors equally. Learn more at sfiprogram.org and sfiprogram.org/Buy-SFI/.

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 Arbor Day Partner of the Year Award (2014) and 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, 80 million trees have been planted, more than 540 schoolyards have been greened, and Tree Canada has organized 10 national urban forest conferences. More information about Tree Canada is available at treecanada.ca.

SOURCE: Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)

For further information: Media Contact: Rebecca Peters, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, 604.762.2098, [e-mail]