Media Room

Celebrating 20 Years of Going Green

Twenty years ago, Canada joined 141 other nations to celebrate the first International Earth Day. That year also marked the creation of TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. In the past 20 yearsboth have grown like a weed. Earth Day has become Earth Week, as more than one billion people from 170 countries – including six million Canadians – take part in celebrations.

“Thanks to the generous support of our donors, we’ve provided funding to more than 18,000 grassroots environment and wildlife projects across the country over the past 20 years,” says Mary Desjardins, Executive Director, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. “Environmental issues have become more top of mind as a result of the hard work and generosity of Canadians. We encourage everyone to continue being environmentally aware at home, at work and in the community.”

Here are some tips on how to celebrate Earth Day:

• Produce less waste. You may find that a lot of your “garbage” can be recycled, composted or re-used.
• Use less power. Turn off, or unplug appliances that are not in use. Read a book and give the home entertainment unit a rest.
• Walk, ride your bike or use public transit. See if you can live without your car for one week.
• Become involved with a charity that’s dedicated to the environment and wildlife. If you’re part of a non-profit organization or school and need funding to bring your environment project to life, you can apply for funding from TD Friends of the Environment Foundation at www.tdfef.com.
• Get the entire family involved and develop your own Earth Week activities. It is a fun way to help your kids develop environmentally friendly habits that can last a lifetime.