Help Grow the Global Forest
A Toolkit for Schools
#Rooting4Trees
Earth Day 2016
EcoKids Toolkit
Contents
3 What’s happening for Earth Day 2016?
4 How to participate
Pledge a Tree
Plant a Tree
Share your story
7 Things you might need
Announcements
Newsletter content
Print-your-own posters
Twitter and Facebook Resources
Website banners
12 Tips for engaging your school community
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What’s happening for
Earth Day 2016?
In 2016, Earth Day Canada is #Rooting4Trees! Woo hoo!
2016 marks the beginning of a global Earth Day movement to plant 7.8 billion trees –
one for every person on the planet. Earth Day Canada’s 2016 #Rooting4Trees
campaign supports the beginning of Canada’s contribution to this ambitious
goal. With support from people across the country, we hope to plant 25,000 legacy
trees that will demonstrate Canada’s collective commitment to climate change
mitigation and celebrate Earth Day Canada’s 25th anniversary.
Why Trees?
Trees help combat climate change.
They absorb excess and harmful CO2 from our atmosphere. In fact, in a single year, an
acre of mature trees absorbs the same amount of CO2 produced by driving the
average car 26,000 miles.
Trees help us breathe clean air.
Trees absorb odors and pollutant gases (nitrogen oxides, ammonia, sulfur dioxide and
ozone) and filter particulates out of the air by trapping them on their leaves and bark.
Trees help communities.
Trees help communities achieve long-term economic and environmental sustainability
and provide food, energy and income.
We’re #Rooting4 Trees this Earth Day, will you join us?
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How to participate
Pledge a Tree :: Help Earth Day Canada grow the global
forest by planting 25,000 trees
This April, plant or pledge a tree for Earth Day. Forests are essential to our future, and
tree planting is one of the most effective, efficient and affordable ways to mitigate
climate change.
How does it work?
From April 1st to April 25th, Earth Day Canada will be collecting pledges to support
tree planting projects across the country. Through our new crowdfunding site, our
goal is to raise enough funds to plant 25,000 trees.
Check out our site and fundraising targets beginning April 1 on earthday.ca
How do I get my school on board?
Be creative! Here are some great ideas for launching the fundraising portion of your
#Rooting4 Trees campaign:
Themed Quiz Night: Host a community quiz night focused on trees! Research tree
facts, nominate a quiz-master, divide attendees in to teams, and have fun! Charge a
small admission fee and provide environmentally-friendly prizes to the winning team.
Administrator Challenge: See if your principal or vice-principal (or favourite teacher!)
will agree to do something drastic, hilarious or fun (e.g., shave their head, wear green
all day, give students an extra recess, dress like a tree, get a pie in the face, etc.) if you
reach your fundraising goal.
Flea Market: Promote reusing and recycling by hosting a school-wide flea market
where families can donate gently used items from home, such as old books or toys.
Movie Night: Host a community movie night! Invite your whole school community to
enjoy an environmentally-themed movie, such as Project Wild Thing, Call of the Forest,
or The Lorax. Charge a small admission fee or sell popcorn at the event. Be sure to
obtain permission to screen the movie before launching your event.
GOOS Paper Notebook Sale: Collect Good-On-One-Side (GOOS) or recycled paper
and create handy notebooks to sell to the whole school community. GOOS paper
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notebooks are easy to make and help reduce paper use. Check out these tutorials
from Martha Stewart and Design Sponge.
“- A-Thons”: Walk-a-thons, dance-a-thons, skate-a-thons, read-a-thons etc. take some
organizing but are a lot of fun! You can ask for a block pledge (e.g., $10 for the event)
or ask for a pledge amount per km or hour, etc. Set up a “thermometer” poster to
indicate how close your school is to reaching its goal.
Plant Sale: Engage your parent community or local plant nursery and hold a plant sale
just in time for spring! Try to choose trees, shrubs and plants that are native to your
area.
Plant a Tree :: Take action in your community
Join schools from across the country in a focused and united effort to grow the global
forest.
How does it work?
Get your hands dirty and plant a tree! Connect with your school administrator to plant
a tree on your schools grounds or reach out to a local tree-planting organization to
host a more community-focused event.
If you are hosting an event that is open to the public, spread the word by posting it on
Earth Day Canada’s Events Calendar!
Fantastic tree planting resources
LEAF Do-It-Yourself Tree Planting Workshop
> www.yourleaf.org/do-it-yourself-program-online-workshop
Evergreen’s Native Plant Database
> nativeplants.evergreen.ca
Evergreen’s School Ground Greening Resources
> www.evergreen.ca/get-involved/resources/school-ground-greening
Trees Ontario: Tree Planting Tips
> www.treesontario.ca/programs/index.php/workbook
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Canadian Gardening: How to pick the best tree for your yard
> www.canadiangardening.com/plants/trees-and-shrubs/pick-the-best-tree-to-plantin-your-yard/a/21338
Share your story
Take a picture or video of your school celebrating Earth Day or planting a tree. Use
the hashtags #EcoKids and #Rooting4Trees to share via Twitter and Facebook.
@EarthDayCanada
EarthDayCanada
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Things you might need
Announcements
At <insert school name>, we are #Rooting4Trees this Earth Day! We’re
joining schools across Canada in an effort to plant 25,000 trees and
grow the global forest!
Earth Day Canada is #Rooting4Trees and we are too! <insert details
about the times and locations of your campaign events>. Take action
by pledging a tree or planting a tree this Earth Day!
Share these interesting facts and trivia with your school community by including them
in your announcements:
The impact of deforestation and the benefits of planting trees
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Deforestation is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions,
responsible for up to 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Deforestation
plays such an oversized role in climate change, in fact, that part of the 2015
Paris Agreement singled out both the end of deforestation and the importance
of reforestation to hitting national climate goals. Planting trees – lots and lots
of trees – is the best way to counteract deforestation.
In just one year, a mature leafy tree produces as much oxygen as ten people
breathe!
Approximately one billion people depend directly on forests for their
livelihoods and each year approximately 12 million hectares of forest are
destroyed.
Planting trees can prevent and reduce soil erosion and water pollution as well
help recharge ground water.
Canada has 348 million hectares of forest land. This represents 9% of the
world’s forests and 24% of the world’s boreal forests. Forests dominate the
Canadian landscape almost everywhere except the Arctic and the Prairies. Let’s
not lose our forests.
Numerous studies show that spending time around trees and looking at trees
reduces stress and improves mood.
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Newsletter content
Edit the content below for your school newsletter.
What’s happening for Earth Day 2016?
At <insert school name>, we are taking action this Earth Day!
This year we are #Rooting4Trees and
helping Earth Day Canada grow the global forest!
We’re joining schools across Canada in an effort to plant 25,000 trees!
Contact <insert lead teacher’s name or EcoKids Club lead here>
for more details!
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Print-your-own posters
Download at https://earthday.ca/earth-day-2016/
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Twitter and Facebook Resources
Download at https://earthday.ca/earth-day-2016/
Tweets:
1. What are you doing for #EarthDay16? Take action by pledging or planting a
tree! Join in #Rooting4Trees @ earthday.ca
2. For #EarthDay this year we are #Rooting4Trees and helping @EarthDayCanada
grow the global forest! Visit earthday.ca
3. Start #Rooting4Trees Join @EarthDayCanada and schools across Canada in an
effort to plant 25,000 trees! #EarthDay16
Facebook Posts:
1. What are you doing for #EarthDay 2016? Take action by pledging or planting a
tree and join @EarthDayCanada in the #Rooting4Trees campaign! Forest are
essential to our future and tree planning is one of the most effective, efficient
and affordable ways to mitigate #climatechange earthday.ca
2. Your future, your Earth. For #EarthDay this year we are #Rooting4Trees and
helping @EarthDayCanada grow the global forest! Visit earthday.ca to learn
how you can help.
3. Start #Rooting4Trees to join @EarthDayCanada and schools across Canada in an
effort to plant 25,000 trees for #EarthDay this year! Help grow the global forest
and mitigate #climate change.
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Website banners
Download at https://earthday.ca/earth-day-2016/
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Tips for engaging your
school community
Inform the wider school community about the campaign through newsletters, social
media, your school’s website, the parent community and local media.
Share your goals with the people you hope to engage. How is your school community
contributing Earth Day Canada’s goal of planting 25,000 trees and celebrating our
forests? Try to be as clear and specific as possible.
Seek out community partners such as local businesses or environmental organizations
that might help you spread the word and increase support.
Provide clear guidance on how to participate by providing the staff, students and
the wider community with all of the details they need. Try to provide multiple
opportunities to participate in campaign actions. Be specific about what people need
to do and where they need to be in order to participate.
Incorporate friendly challenges throughout the campaign. Track participation,
donations and signatures so that you can encourage a light competitive atmosphere
between classes, grades or staff teams.
Communicate your progress with the whole school community. Provide regular
feedback to let everyone know how their actions are contributing to the collective
goals of the campaign.
Celebrate! Recognize and celebrate your school’s success! Take time to highlight
specific individuals or groups that were champions during the campaign and
contributed to your success. Applaud them during an assembly, treat them with a
small token (such as a gift card or school supplies), or present them with a certificate.
Check out tips for successful campaigns like those found in Ontario EcoSchools’
Designing a Campaign: 6 Steps to an Effective School-wide Campaign at
www.ontarioecoschools.org/section/environmental-stewardship .
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