Funding and support for tree planting and habitat restoration projects that enhance biodiversity, restore ecosystems, and improve climate resilience across Canada.
Funding and support for tree planting and habitat restoration projects that enhance biodiversity, restore ecosystems, and improve climate resilience across Canada.
The Biodiversity Restoration Initiative supports tree-planting and habitat-restoration projects that help reverse biodiversity loss across Canada. Through Tree Canada’s National Greening Program, funding and technical support are available for projects that restore ecosystems, improve wildlife habitat, enhance biodiversity, strengthen ecological resilience, and support the recovery of Species at Risk.
Projects are developed in partnership with municipalities, Indigenous communities, landowners, conservation organizations, and forestry professionals, using native and climate-adapted species suited to local ecosystems.
Objectives
Projects should support one or more of the following objectives:
Restore degraded ecosystems and natural habitats
Improve biodiversity and ecosystem connectivity
Support Species at Risk and habitat recovery
Increase climate resilience through native tree planting
Enhance long-term environmental stewardship and land management
Generate ecological monitoring data to track restoration outcomes
Eligible Projects
Eligible projects may include:
Forest rehabilitation and reforestation
Afforestation of previously cleared lands
Ecosystem restoration and habitat enhancement
Biodiversity-focused tree planting initiatives
Riparian restoration projects
Woodland enhancement and regeneration
Restoration projects located in or near ecologically significant areas, conservation lands, or Key Biodiversity Areas
Projects must:
Be located on municipal, Indigenous, or private land
Use appropriate native or locally adapted species
Include long-term stewardship commitments
Generally involves a minimum project size of 4 hectares or approximately 8,000 trees (multiple properties may be combined)
Ineligible Projects
Projects are not eligible if they are:
Required by provincial legislation following resource extraction or disturbance
Located on lands under forest tenure for future commercial harvest
Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible, as project planning, contractor coordination, and seedling procurement can take several months and may require up to a year before planting begins.
