Regina gives away 1,000 seedlings to celebrate National Tree Day

One thousand Regina residents received a Siberian larch seedling as part of National Tree Day celebrations on Wednesday morning.

In a news release, the city said it handed out the tree seedlings in Victoria Park to highlight the community’s commitment to a “thriving urban forest.”

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“National Tree Day continues to be a popular event with residents and it is great to see so many people come out to pick up seedlings,” Veronica Schroder, the city’s co-ordinator of forestry, said in the statement.

“By planting these trees, residents are helping create greener and healthier neighbourhoods.”

Residents who picked up the trees also received tips on how to plant and care for them.

According to the city, Regina was recognized in June as a “Tree City of the World” by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization for the sixth year in a row, “an honour that highlights our ongoing commitment to urban forestry.”

The program aims to connect cities around the world to a network dedicated to sharing and adopting successful approaches to managing trees in urban areas.

“Regina was one of the original 68 Tree Cities of the World when the program began,” the City of Regina noted in a statement. “The program has expanded to 210 cities, including 21 communities recognized in Canada.”

“Our urban forest supports our goal of becoming a 100 per cent renewable city by 2050,” the city added.

Regina’s urban forest is home to more than 500,000 hand-planted public and private trees.

“These trees remove the carbon emissions of more than 3,300 mid-sized vehicles from the atmosphere each year. Trees also help with flood control and provide natural shade and cooling. These benefits support our goal of becoming a 100 per cent renewable city by 2050,” the city explained.

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