Burlington named a Tree City of the World

By Pepper Parr

April 24th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

The recognition as a Tree City of the World will come is as a disappointment for those who feel a tree on their property is something they can cut down whenever they wish.

Was the cutting down of the tree necessary?

Others see a tree is as something a property owner doesn’t own – rather they are the stewards of the tree for is as long is as they live – others will follow will and become the steward. Trees outlive us – always have – always will.

The award was given to Burlington by the Arbour Day Foundation and the Food and Agriculture Foundation of the United Nations as a Tree City of the World.
This is the first time the City of Burlington has been recognized for this prestigious status for leading the way in urban and community forestry.

To earn Tree Cities of the World recognition, a city must demonstrate its commitment by meeting five program standards:

establish responsibility for the care of trees:

set rules to govern the management of forests and trees,

maintain an updated inventory or assessment of local tree resources,

allocate resources for a tree management plan,

and hold an annual celebration of trees to educate residents.

In recognition of this designation, a Tree City of the World flag has been raised at City Hall.

This is what most people in Burlington want; a gorgeous urban tree canopy that shades our streets, improves property values and gets some of the pollutants out of the air.

About the Tree City of the World Program
The Arbor Day Foundation is the world’s largest non-profit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Both organizations came together in 2019 to found Tree Cities of the World.

The city has a history of planting new trees year after year. This is an award the city earned.

The program is a global effort to recognize cities and towns committed to ensuring that their urban forests and trees are properly maintained, sustainably managed, and duly celebrated.

Planting trees in a metropolitan area comes with many benefits beyond the recognition of this program. Increasing the number of trees in a community can help reduce costs for energy, stormwater management, and erosion control.

In addition, the program provides a network of like-minded city leaders in urban forestry to celebrate and share best practices to cultivate greenery in the community. Tree Cities of the World aims to create more green spaces in urban areas by recognizing the cities that do it well.

About the Arbor Day Foundation

Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation is the world’s largest membership nonprofit organization dedicated to planting trees. With a focus in communities and forests of greatest need, the Foundation — alongside its more than 1 million members, supporters and valued partners — has helped to plant nearly 500 million trees in more than 50 countries.

Guided by its mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees, the Arbor Day Foundation is committed to unlocking the power of trees to help solve critical issues facing people and the planet.