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October 16, 2009
(Red Deer, Alberta) – For the second year in a row, Devon Canada Corporation, Tree Canada and The City of Red Deer came together to plant trees in the McKenzie Trail Recreation area of Red Deer.
This year, 500 trees and native shrubs were planted. Although smaller in number when compared to the 17,000 seedlings planted by the group in 2008, this year’s trees are certainly not smaller in size. In fact, approximately 50 of the trees planted today were ten or more feet tall with root balls weighing 800 – 1,500 pounds! The larger trees have a higher survival rate and provide shelter for the seedlings planted last year, while the native shrubs will help enhance the habitat for local wildlife.
Devon’s two-year partnership with Tree Canada is valued at $100,000 and is reflective of the company’s commitment to environmental stewardship.
“Our objective is to minimize our environmental footprint as much as possible, and trees play a critical role in maintaining the health of our air and water resources,” explained Apu Sharma, an Engineer in Devon’s Thermal Heavy Oil group. “Being a good neighbour and doing the right thing are two of our core corporate values, and our employees enthusiastically participate in events that enable them to contribute to the communities in which we live and work.”
“Our whole community will benefit thanks to this partnership between Devon Canada Corporation and Tree Canada. You can never have too many trees, and this partnership demonstrates a commitment to the environment and to helping create a more sustainable Red Deer – a more sustainable Alberta,” said Elaine Johnson, Urban Forester for The City of Red Deer.
“These large trees are going to provide the residents of Red Deer with clean air, habitat for wildlife and will beautify the city for years to come,” explained Michael Rosen President of Tree Canada. “Tree Canada is proud to work with Devon to make changes that help the community.”
According to Tree Canada’s calculations, the 500 trees planted today will sequester approximately 83,340 tonnes of CO2 over 80 years.
Tree Canada is a not-for-profit charitable organization established to encourage Canadians to plant and care for trees in urban and rural environments. A winner of the Canadian Environmental Award (2007), Tree Canada engages Canadian companies, government agencies and individuals to support the planting of trees, the greening of schoolyards, and other efforts to sensitize Canadians to the benefits of planting and maintaining trees. To date, more than 76 million trees have been planted, more than 450 schoolyards have been greened, and Tree Canada has organized 8 national urban forest conferences. More information about Tree Canada is available at http://www.treecanada.ca/.
Devon Canada Corporation (http://www.devonenergy.ca/) is the Canadian operating subsidiary of Devon Energy Corporation of Oklahoma City. The company's portfolio of natural gas and oil properties provides stable, environmentally responsible production and a strong platform for future growth. Devon Canada employs approximately 1,500 people in Calgary and in its field operations in western and northern Canada. The company has approximately 5,000 employees worldwide.
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For more information or to arrange interviews: Tracey Thompson, Senior Public & Community Affairs Specialist
Devon Canada Corporation, tracey.thompson@dvn.com, (403) 519-8354 │ Melissa Nisbett, Communications and Marketing Officer, Tree Canada, mnisbett@treecanada.ca, (613) 567-5545, ext. 224 │ Elaine Johnson, Urban Forester, The City of Red Deer, elaine.johnson@reddeer.ca, (403) 342-8344
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