Canada’s Forest Trust and EcoSchools Canada help Students Take Action

Canada’s Forest Trust Corporation has partnered with EcoSchools Canada to engage students across the country to take climate action, one tree at a time.

Canada’s Forest Trust Corporation (CFT) is a social enterprise that offers natural-based solutions to capture carbon with their Smart Forests. A Smart Forest combines the natural resiliency of a natural ecosystem or a traditional forest with innovative technologies and knowledge from Canada’s First Peoples. Within a Smart Forest, lands across Canada are acquired, and seedlings are strategically planted to ensure optimal growth and carbon sequestration.

CFT differs from tree-planting organizations because they go beyond the single act of planting a tree. They ensure the long-term health of their forests, and their certified monitoring and expert management is backed by science and lessons learned from the Indigenous Knowledge Keepers. Their Smart Forests will capture millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide, rehabilitate ecosystems, and boost the green economy across Canada. CFT also gives you access to track the progress of your forest from seedling to tree.

Anyone can contribute to a Smart Forest with CFT. Businesses and corporations build Smart Forests to meet their ESG goals. Schools and organizations build these forests to help directly minimize the effects of climate change. Communities and individuals will build Smart Forests with the goal of protecting the planet for future generations.

Recently, CFT announced that they have partnered with EcoSchools Canada to engage one million students across the country to take climate change action. EcoSchools Canada offers elementary and secondary schools a certification program to become involved in environmental learning and climate change.

Each year, schools can apply for the certification by undertaking environmental actions, campaigns and projects that will help them earn points toward the certification. EcoSchools Canada’s national program has engaged millions of students and helped them take action in their school communities by reducing waste and energy, planting native species in school gardens and running environmental campaigns on local and national issues.

With CFT, students will have the opportunity to fundraise for initiatives by selling seedlings. A portion of every seedling sale will be allocated to the initiative of the school’s choosing, and the other portion will be used to plant and protect a Smart Forest in Canada. Each school will receive a customized digital platform allowing students to track their forest’s growth. By engaging in the Smart Forest Fundraising program, schools can receive up to 5 points toward their EcoSchools Canada certification

The partnership with Canada’s Forest Trust will be one of the most impactful nature-based climate action programs for schools across Canada. Moreover, CFT and EcoSchools Canada hope that more schools will be empowered to advance their environmental agendas and engage more students to take climate action.

Like the trees they are helping to plant, the climate decisions students across Canada make will positively influence the next generation and the ones that follow.