Arbre-Évolution launches platform to showcase environmental impact across Quebec

Tashi Farmilo

Arbre-Évolution, a Quebec-based environmental cooperative, has launched a new digital platform to transparently showcase the environmental and social impacts of over 300 ecological restoration projects across the province, including two in the Outaouais region. This initiative, timed with the start of Tree Month, reflects nearly a decade of work in reforesting communities and mitigating climate impacts, particularly in areas vulnerable to heat and biodiversity loss.

In 2019, Arbre-Évolution collaborated with the municipality of L’Ange-Gardien to reforest a riparian zone along the Lièvre River, planting over 650 trees and shrubs to stabilize the riverbank, boost biodiversity, and create a publicly accessible green space. That same year, the cooperative partnered with Groupe ABS in Val-des-Monts to help the company offset its transport-related carbon emissions by planting trees across multiple sites.

The cooperative's efforts are supported through three major programs—Social Reforestation™, Riparian Carbon™, and Le Semoir™—which have garnered financial backing from more than 200 partners, raising close to $4 million since 2017. According to Simon Côté, General Coordinator of Arbre-Évolution, “We have built an ecosystem of initiatives based on ecological compensation and the principle of giving back.”

The new platform provides tailored socio-environmental reports for contributors, detailing metrics such as trees planted, square meters of land restored, and heat islands addressed. Notably, 128 of Arbre-Évolution’s plantation sites have been identified as heat islands, a finding supported by a collaboration with the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ). Pierre-Gerlier Forest, President and CEO of INSPQ, stated, “We are delighted when our scientific analysis and mapping work is highlighted and helps our civil society partners in their work.”

Beyond reforestation, Arbre-Évolution places a strong emphasis on environmental education. Through the Le Semoir program, launched in 2019, thousands of young people have participated in eco-education workshops and the development of outdoor classrooms. Laurence Côté-Leduc, coordinator of the program, emphasized the importance of public awareness, saying, “It’s important to spread the good news, to let people know that we’re moving toward a better world.”

With the infrastructure now in place, Arbre-Évolution is looking to expand its impact. Simon Côté expressed the organization's future ambitions: “Our actions for the planet, our movement for the future of the world, could easily increase tenfold if more funds were invested.”

The platform is publicly accessible on Arbre-Évolution’s website: arbre-evolution.org.