Richmond Hill Recognized for Exceptional Contributions to Nature Conservation

RICHMOND HILL – The City of Richmond Hill was recently recognized with the ‘Lee Symmes Municipal Award’ from Ontario Nature for its achievements in protecting and regenerating the natural environment.

Ontario Nature’s conservation awards celebrate individuals, groups, government agencies and corporations whose efforts have helped protect some of Ontario’s most vulnerable wild species and spaces. Richmond Hill was recognized for its efforts to protect, restore and grow its urban forest through City programs, policies and partnerships, as well as community tree planting and public education. 

The City’s collaborative programs and policies helped to increase tree canopy cover in Richmond Hill from 25% to nearly 30% between 2012 and 2022. That’s a net gain of more than 100,000 trees and shrubs.

This achievement is significant as trees are vital natural assets that provide numerous benefits to the community. They are the green lungs of the city, cleaning and cooling the air, enhancing our health and wellbeing, reducing flood risk, and providing food and shelter for wildlife.

City staff presented the award to Mayor David West and Members of Council at their meeting on June 19, 2024.

For more information on the urban forest in Richmond Hill, visit RichmondHill.ca/UrbanForest.

Quotes

“We are grateful to be recognized with this award from Ontario Nature and extremely proud of the progress we’re making to protect and grow trees and woodlands in Richmond Hill. I look forward to continuing this great work with our partners and community and encourage everyone to get involved.”
- Mayor David West

Quick Facts

• Richmond Hill has been recognized as a ‘Tree City of the World’ since 2020 by The Arbor Day Foundation and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for being committed to growing and maintaining its urban forest.
• The City’s Urban Forest Management Plan guides its efforts to protect and grow trees and woodlands in Richmond Hill to 2041
• Ontario Nature is a leading environmental charity that protects wild species and wild spaces through conservation, education and public engagement.