Giving back to Canada’s greatest gift. Our forests.

Forests Canada restores thousands of hectares of critical forested landscapes following devastating storms and wildfires  

Growing amongst the destructive remains of 2022’s Hurricane Fiona in parts of the Wabanaki-Acadian Forest in Nova Scotia are 200,000 Red Spruce, Red Oak, Sugar Maple and White Pine that were newly planted last year to contribute to the long-term health and sustainability of this integral forest ecosystem.  

On the west coast in North Shuswap and Criss Creek British Columbia, 100,000 Douglas Fir, Western Larch, and White Spruce, among other native trees, were planted this past spring in areas of the province that were devastated by the 2023 Bush Creek East wildfire.  

In Eastern Ontario, more than 120,000 White Pine, Red Pine, and Red Oak were planted earlier this year to restore local forests in four locations that suffered substantial structural damage from the Derecho Storm that devastated parts of Ontario and Quebec in 2022.  

The significant environmental and economic impacts of powerful storms, intense wildfires, and invasive species are not exclusive to Canadian communities – they are felt worldwide. At Forests Canada, we take these challenges head on and see first-hand the fruitful results of the restoration movement we helped to foster and grow over the past two decades.  

“Canada’s forests can teach us so much,” Jess Kaknevicius, CEO, Forests Canada, says. “Walking through a forest is a masterclass in biodiversity, sustainability, resilience and the delicate balance of ecosystems that are crucial to urban, rural, and remote communities across the country.”  

From collecting and nurturing millions of tree seeds to the planting of quality seedlings and investing in the long-term health and resilience of those future forests, Forests Canada's innovative forest recovery system emphasizes measurable and meaningful outcomes for Canada’s natural landscapes.   

In the last three years alone, the demand for our restoration expertise, science-based data analysis, and investment in forest recovery efforts, has significantly increased. This is primarily due to the devastating impacts of recent wildfires, extreme weather events and invasive species on the landscape.  

“Smart, sustainable ecological restoration is the science of hope,” restoration ecologist Val Deziel, Director of Restoration Programs, Forests Canada, says. “The diversity of our forest restoration projects allows us to prioritize the lasting and positive landscape outcomes we are looking for.”  

Those measurable outcomes are especially important to the corporations, foundations, individuals and governments whose financial investment is needed to support the health and sustainability of Canada’s forests. Their support is integral to Forests Canada’s ability to invest in quality seed and stock, training for practitioners, practical forest stewardship, strategic data-analysis, and integrated educational programs. 

This fall, Forests Canada surpassed a major milestone – supporting the planting of 50 million trees over the past 20 years on more than 10,400 project sites. But more importantly, those new and restored forests are helping to improve biodiversity, increase wildlife habitat corridors, and support critical ecosystem resilience.  

“Our work isn’t just about planting the right tree in the right place and for the right reason – it is about creating thriving forested landscapes that benefit our lives, local economies, and the world we share with every living thing today, and for generations to come,” Kaknevicius says. “Canada’s forests do so much for us – we need to keep working hard for them.” 

A variation of this article first appeared as part of a special National Philanthropy Day feature produced by Randall Anthony Communications in the November 14, 2025 edition of The Globe and Mail.