Our Philosophy
As a community tree nursery our aim is to supply stock to be planted in Guelph. Many groups, individuals, clubs, companies and schools take part in planting trees in one way or another, but there are those who are unable to plant trees because of the cost. The philosophy of Laughing Toad is that those who are able to get funding to buy trees should pay for them and those unable to acquire funding but have a project or initiative to plant trees in Guelph should receive trees free of charge. This philosophy not only ensures sustainability for Laughing Toad, but results in a positive net gain for everyone. Groups purchasing trees help to subsidize the planting of additional trees, in effect putting up to twice as many trees in the ground. For any group that is truly driven by the desire to plant trees and help the environment this arrangement offers tremendous satisfaction. When a group buys trees from Laughing Toad they are supporting a not-for-profit organization focused on revitalizing the environmental, social, and economic fabric of Guelph.
Why would an environmental group care about economics?
A small taste of the bigger picture, with thanks to Ahren Hughes.
Trees can, in fact, be a major component not only in revitalizing the local environment but also the local economy. In southern Ontario, air is becoming increasingly saturated with a myriad of pollutants, which are poisoning us all, yet people continue to drive. While some people are able to curb their driving habits, many others depend on vehicles for their work and cannot because it is the means by which they earn their livelihood. Herein lies the crux of the problem – environmental legislation cannot be instated without simultaneously creating and making available alternatives and options. The creation of jobs, which are locally based and embody environmentally and socially conscious practices in every aspect of their business, is absolutely paramount in the efforts to make the transition. Cities are consumers of resources – a shift needs to happen whereby cities are also producers of natural resources. One aspect in which this would happen is through the creation of the urban forest and with this the introduction of traditionally rural jobs into the city. By creating urban forests the environment is vastly improved and by managing the urban forest for productivity, and not just amenity, jobs are created through the initial act of planting trees. Laughing Toad Community Tree Nursery is committed to growing and planting trees and realizing this vision of change.
