Context
During the year 2017, British Columbia saw more than 12,000 km2 of forests go up in smoke. These wildfires were particularly notorious as they caused the largest total number of evacuees with 65,000 evacuees as well as the largest area fire in the province's history resulting in the declaration of the provincial state of emergency by the government of British Columbia.
Supported Project
In 2022-2023, L'OCCITANE Canada supports the project of ONE TREE PLANTED. This project aims to plant 1M trees in Williams Lake, British Columbia. It is an extension of a project completed in 2021 and will restore 570 hectares of land that was devastated by the 2017 wildfires.
This project will faster the process of returning the area to a forested state and re-establishing complex ecosystems which were destroyed by the fires than they would naturally, which is estimated to take up to 40 years. Planting trees will also help to establish tree species that are resilient in the face of climate change. This will help to support the area’s biodiversity and native species. A wide range of wildlife species, large and small, will benefit from this project. Large fauna includes mule deer, moose, black and grizzly bears, wolves, sandhill cranes, various raptors, songbirds, and small mammals. The tree planting will also create fuel breaks to reduce the potential for wildfires to spread, safeguarding habitats for all local species. The trees will also help to restabilize affected soils to reduce erosion and landslides through root development.
Some Figures
Budget 24,000 euros
Results 4,000 planted trees
Results 2.75 regenerated hectares
History of Partnership
This project is an extension of a project completed in 2021 in Hanceville, British Columbia. More information.
