Regina named a 'Tree City of the World'

REGINA — For the second year in a row, the city of Regina has been designated a “Tree City of the World” by the United Nations.

This year, the United Nations program awarded 120 cities from around the globe the designation. The cities are recognized by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and Arbor Foundation for meeting core standards on the care and planning of urban trees and forests.

“The vision of the program is to connect cities around the world to a network dedicated to sharing and adopting the most successful approaches to managing city trees and forests,” stated a release from Regina officials.

The city boasts more than 500,000 hand-planted trees that assist with flood mitigation and natural cooling. The trees also remove the greenhouse gas equivalent of 3,330 mid-sized vehicles from the atmosphere each year. Regina officials noted its urban forests are just one way it intends to reach its goal of being a 100 per cent renewable city by 2050.

“Not only does our urban forest contribute to the beautification of our city and community pride, it also contributes to our mental and physical well-being,” reads a statement from the city.