Forests Canada’s restoration efforts optimize benefits for people and planet

Twenty years ago, Forests Canada set an ambitious goal to plant 50 million trees by 2025.

After planting almost 47 million trees in the past two decades, the organization is on track to plant close to 3.5 million more by the end of this year – the highest annual number in its history – to fulfill its initial 50 million tree pledge.

Forests Canada is a national non-profit charity that conserves, restores and grows the nation’s forests as well as educates Canadians on the value of these vital resources. It implements up to 700 planting projects annually and has completed more than 9,700 projects across Canada to date. As a result, Forests Canada has built unparalleled infrastructure and gathered extensive expertise on ways to optimize its projects’ benefits for climate, biodiversity, wildlife, habitat and people.

While every tree is important, the sheer number of trees planted is not the ultimate metric for success, says Forests Canada CEO Jess Kaknevicius.

“Many of our planting projects range in size and are doing well, but we need to consider the long-term collective impact of our work,” says Ms. Kaknevicius. “It’s not just about evaluating one small area we planted; it is important that we also determine how that area contributes to the larger vision for Canada’s forest landscapes.”

According to Ms. Kaknevicius, protecting biodiversity requires not only good-quality forests, “but forests that are connected, not islands living independent of each other. We need diversity to build resilience, so when climate change impacts occur, such as wildfires or storms, we all benefit from an ecosystem that’s still able to function and recover.”

New research supported by Forests Canada has produced more compelling evidence that decisions on where and how tree-planting is done can achieve multiple goals and maximize benefits for the larger landscape.

The study, published in One Earth journal in February, presents the findings of a systematic analysis of where new tree cover can cost-effectively optimize impacts – mitigating climate change while delivering regional benefits such as promoting healthy waters and supporting wildlife habitat. The research shows how restoring the right trees in the right places can ensure the fullest range of long-term benefits for communities and ecosystems.

“The value of this research is that it can help guide us on the priority areas to focus on,” says Ms. Kaknevicius. “Because Canada is so vast with some of the Earth’s most diverse natural landscapes, there are many opportunities to restore forests, but understanding where our investments are going to provide the greatest ecological value is crucial.”

In fact, Forests Canada’s planting projects have already produced positive impacts in high-value areas such as those with biodiversity or watershed value, she says.

“When we assessed what was recommended against where we actually planted over the past 20 years, there was an overlay of millions of trees in identified priority areas that we’ve contributed to, in particular in southern Ontario.”

Many of the organization’s tree-planting projects have been located near communities, recognizing the social and economic benefits of forests in addition to the environmental gains.

“Forests are a critical habitat for various species, but are also critical for people. We don’t always remember that healthy forests help clean our air and water and support pollination services, while also providing places for us to enjoy, sustain employment and materials for building homes, and so much more,” Ms. Kaknevicius says.

As a national non-profit charity, it is due to the financial support of corporations, individual donors, foundations and all levels of government, that enables Forests Canada to put down roots and build up forests across the country.

“We like to say that we’re not just planting trees – we’re growing hope, building ecosystems and advocating for healthy forests. That’s why we are excited to plant millions of trees each year so that, together, we can conserve, restore and grow Canada’s forests to sustain life and communities now, and for generations to come.”

This article first appeared as part of the Earth Day special report in the April 22, 2025 issue of The Globe and Mail, produced by Randall Anthony Communications.