Our trees need help. The BC wildfire Service responds to an average of 1,600 wildfires every year, which have long-lasting impacts on wildlife habitats, soil health and ecosystems of our forest as a whole.

Roots of recovery

BCAA is dedicated to helping the people and province of BC before, during and after wildfires. That includes our new tree-planting partnership with veritree which supports post-wildfire restoration and ecosystem recovery in British Columbia. This year, veritree planted 50,000 trees in the Williams Lake area of the Cariboo, on behalf of the BCAA team and our Members.

The branches stretch this far

To give you an idea of the scope of this planting campaign, 50,000 trees is about 47 football fields, 1,277 tennis courts or 25 hectares. Plus, when the 50,000 trees grow to maturity, these trees will sequester an estimated 48,600 tonnes of carbon dioxide, which is equal to taking 10,565 cars off the road for a year.

This is a major recovery effort for the Cariboo region which has been heavily impacted by wildfires. During the blazing-hot summers of 2017, 2018 and 2021, the Cariboo was devastated by wildfires. The series of wildfires blazed through over 1.3 million hectares of land, including the area of Williams Lake (population: 25,000). The fires reached heights and temperatures that were intense enough to destroy the forest and scar the soil. The local wildlife’s habitat and food sources were heavily affected, and Indigenous communities lost their traditional hunting range and food sources.

The veritee approach to reforestation

This is why veritree and BCAA wanted to help reforest the area. A Vancouver-based reforestation technology company, veritree is on a mission to restore the planet by planting and verifying one billion trees within the decade. veritree is currently working with planting organizations in Canada, Kenya, Madagascar, the US and Tanzania. Reforestation helps restore the planet’s biodiversity, rebuild wildlife habitat and increase our forests’ resilience against future wildfires, with measurable progress tracked over time. Thanks to on-the-ground monitoring and blockchain verification, veritree improves transparency and trust by using data and tools that revitalize ecosystems, strengthen communities and build climate solutions. veritree ensures that every tree is verified, and that every dollar has a tangible impact on the community.

Helping defend our home

This veritree partnership is part of BCAA’s Defending Against Wildfires initiative to help people in BC be more prepared and build back stronger. This initiative includes our partnerships with FireSmartBC and the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Resilient Minds program, plus the BCAA Emergency Relief Fund.

Recently introduced, the BCAA Home Insurance Wildfire Property Defence Program offers instrumental services that increase a property’s chance of survival during a wildfire. Wildfires are a fast-growing threat to BC, so together with British Columbians and partners like veritree, BCAA is helping before wildfires start, while they burn and during recovery.

“We believe, together, BC is all of Ours to Protect, now and for future generations, and these types of impact programs help us work towards this goal." - Shawn Pettipas, Director, Corporate Purpose

Learn more
Find out more about BCAA's commitment to creating a better BC, together at bcaa.com/OursToProtect