Project Canopy Partners with Alliance for Community Trees and TD Bank to Plant Trees in the City of Auburn

September 30, 2013

For more information contact: Jan Ames Santerre at: 207-287-4987

October 2013 ? Auburn, Maine ?Staff and volunteers from Project Canopy, the Maine Forest Service?s urban and community forestry program, will join employees from TD Bank, America?s Most Convenient Bank?, and Alliance for Community Trees (ACTrees) on October 2nd at Edward Little Park in Auburn, Maine to participate in TD Tree Days, a cooperative effort to plant new trees in local communities in need.

Project Canopy is a cooperative partnership between the Maine Forest Service, under the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF), and GrowSmart Maine, a statewide organization that supports sustainable prosperity. Cooperation between the LePage administration and private entities make projects like this possible.

As part of TD Forests, the bank?s environmental initiative to reduce paper usage and increase protected forest habitat, TD Bank and ACTrees are partnering with multiple community organizations for TD Tree Days. The tree planting events will take place from Maine to Florida in September and October in communities and neighborhoods in need. The tree species are tolerant of tough urban conditions, provide shade, beauty, wildlife habitat, and help with environmental issues such as storm water retention and more.

?We are very grateful to TD Bank for its investment of time and resources in improving the City of Auburn,? Santerre said. ?This is a tremendous example of how the state can partner with private corporations for public good, a concept that is a touchstone of the LePage administration.?

Volunteers will plant 38 trees at Edward Little Park and its surroundings, which need new trees for shade; air, water and noise buffering; traffic calming; and soil erosion. The trees also will add beauty and four-season interest to an otherwise hard gray landscape.

?TD Bank and our employees are proud to partner with the City of Auburn, Project Canopy and ACTrees to create greener open spaces in Auburn said Diana Glassman, Vice President and Head of Environmental Affairs for TD Bank. ?As an environmental leader, TD Bank focuses on areas where we can make the most impact and strengthen the physical and human fabric of our communities. We are thrilled that so many volunteers will be providing support for our local parks and opens spaces where we live and work.?

?People understand instinctively that trees are vital to communities,? says Carrie Gallagher, ACTrees Executive Director. ?They clean and filter the air, provide shade for streets and parks, and help to manage stormwater and water pollution. Our partnership with TD Bank is helping more people and places get the many benefits of trees.?

TD Tree Days events will take place beginning in late September and continuing through October 2013 during ACTrees? National NeighborWoods? Month (www.NeighborWoods.org) in: Alexandria, Va.; Auburn, Maine; Bronx, N.Y.; Brooklyn, N.Y.; Camden, N.J.; Collingdale, Pa.; Columbia, S.C.; Gainesville, Fla.; Greenville, SC; Jacksonville, Fla.; Manhattan, N.Y.; Providence, R.I.; Pt. Pleasant, N.J.; Queens, N.Y.; Springfield, Mass.; Staten Island, N.Y.; Tampa, Fla.; and Wilmington, Del.

Follow TD Tree Days on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/TDBank_US #TDTreeDays and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TDMoneyLoungeUS

For more information about Project Canopy, go to: http://www.projectcanopy.me

For more information about the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, go to: http://www.maine.gov/acf

About Alliance for Community Trees Alliance for Community Trees (ACTrees) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health and livability of cities by planting and caring for trees. With over 200 member and partner organizations in 44 states and Canada, ACTrees engages volunteers to take action to improve the environment where 93% of people live: in cities, towns, and metropolitan areas. Together, ACTrees member organizations have planted and cared for more than 15 million trees with help from over 5 million volunteers. Learn more about ACTrees, its mission, and its member organizations at http://www.ACTrees.org and follow us on Twitter @alliance4trees.

About TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank? TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing more than 8 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at approximately 1,300 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth?, and vehicle financing and dealer commercial services through TD Auto Finance. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit http://www.tdbank.com. Find TD Bank on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US.

TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol "TD." To learn more, visit http://www.td.com