Tree planner hold saplings

About Us

What is the Reforest Canada Collective? 

In tree planting and forest restoration projects, stock sourcing, site preparation, planting, and maintenance are not isolated steps, but parts of an interconnected system that constantly communicates and functions as a whole. 

The Reforest Canada Collective (RCC), a division of Forests Canada, is a platform that connects Canada’s tree planting and forest restoration community for knowledge sharing and collaboration. Our goal is to improve the scale and quality of tree planting projects nationwide. Through sharing best practices, building and sharing capacity, and promoting open dialogue, we aim to foster a community that is as dynamic as the forest ecosystems we seek to create and nurture.

What can the Reforest Canada Collective help with?

Planning a project

New to tree planting? Learn how to plan a tree planting project from start to stewardship.

Find implementation-focused resources

Searching for practical information on how to approach your project? Explore our growing hub of planting resources

Connecting with peers and partners

Looking for input, inspiration or support? Find upcoming events on project implementation or reach out to co-organize an event with the RCC.

Featured Resources

Check out go-to resources used by tree planters and forest restoration practitioners across Canada.

Webinar welcome screen
Video

Webinar: Planning Ahead for Climate-Adapted Forests

Webinar highlighting knowledge and projects related to climate-adapted tree seed, assisted species migration, Indigenous-led tree species conservation, and more.


Document

A Look at Current Operational Tree Planting Capacity in Canada

A report on Canada's tree planting workforce and barriers to expansion


Webinar welcome screen
Video

Webinar: Planning Ahead for Climate-Adapted Forests

Webinar highlighting knowledge and projects related to climate-adapted tree seed, assisted species migration, Indigenous-led tree species conservation, and more.


Map showing dots
Tool

Canadian Tree Seed Services and Suppliers Tool

Tool that connects industry professionals looking to access seed services and suppliers in Canada


Document

A Look at Current Operational Tree Planting Capacity in Canada

A report on Canada's tree planting workforce and barriers to expansion


Guide

Guidelines for Climate Adaptive Forest Restoration and Reforestation Projects

Guide published out of Europe on climate adaptive forest restoration and forestation success


Webinar welcome screen
Video

Webinar: Planning Ahead for Climate-Adapted Forests

Webinar highlighting knowledge and projects related to climate-adapted tree seed, assisted species migration, Indigenous-led tree species conservation, and more.


People standing in a group in forest
Article

Reclaiming the land: How the 2 Billion Trees Program is helping one Indigenous community restore forests and community

Highlighting Williams Lake First Nation's 2 Billion Tree project


Map showing dots
Tool

Canadian Tree Seed Services and Suppliers Tool

Tool that connects industry professionals looking to access seed services and suppliers in Canada


Document

Community-Building Gathering | Summary of Guidance

Summary of recommendations and next steps for the RCC's development from an in-person gathering of organizations with 2BT Program funding in early 2025.


Book cover for woody plant seed collection
Guide

Native Woody Plant Seed Collection Guide for British Columbia

Information on BC woody plant seed collection practices, species descriptions, and photographs that aid the collector in identifying key features of flowers, fruits, and seeds during the stages of flowering, forecasting, and collection


Tool showing seedlots
Tool

USFS Seedlot Selection Tool (SST)

GIS mapping program designed to help forest managers in North America match seedlots with planting sites based on climatic information


Webpage showing tool information
Tool

Vegetation Information System Saskatchewan (VegISS)

Database application initiated in 2009 to store data from rangeland, riparian health, and vegetation surveys within the province of Saskatchewan


Technical note
Guide

Artificial regeneration of hardwoods Plantation planning and site preparation

Guide from the Nothern Hardwoods Research Institute for the artificial regeneration of hardwoods: plantation planning and site preparation


Woman operating heavy machinery
Article

So You Want to Start a Tree Planting Company...

A reflection of a tree planter turned company owner


Flowchart for the process of tree species selection in Canada
Guide

Step by step for the process of tree species selection in Canada

Flowchart to guide decision-making process for species seelction for tree planting projects in Canada


Case Study

Planting trees and enhancing forest resilience on private land in Alberta

A tree planting project in Alberta working with beaver habitat


Article

Understanding Landholder Motivations

Article authored by the Agroforestry & Woodlot Extension Society on the topic of navigating landowner motivations for a tree planting project


Text and infographic
Article

Restoring forest cover at diverse sites across Canada can balance synergies and trade-offs

Mapped restoration scenarios that prioritize different objectives to amplify synergies and characterize solutions to trade-offs


Guide

Best management practices guide for forestry interventions in wooded wetlands of private forests in Quebec

Document intended for woodlot owners and practitioners involved in silvicultural treatments of the forest


Blue front cover of a guide
Guide

Operational-scale Carbon Budget Model of the Canadian Forest Sector (CBM-CFS3) version 1.2: user’s guide

Updated guide for the Carbon Budget Model of the Canadian Forest Sector (CBM-CFS3) version 1.2


NAIT presentation
Video

Webinar: Clustered deciduous tree planting as a method to speed forest structural development in post-industrial disturbed landscapes

Webinar recording of presentation led by Dr. Amanda Schoonmaker, NAIT, and project team on the topic of cluster planting of trees for reclamation of post-industrial disturbed sites


Leaves green
Video

Webinar Session 3: Forest Recovery Strategies After Wildfire in Canada

Recording of Webinar Session 3: Forest Recovery Strategies After Wildfire in Canada, February 12 2025


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Video

Webinar Session 2: Forest Recovery Strategies After Wildfire in Canada

Recording of Webinar Session 2: Forest Recovery Strategies After Wildfire in Canada, February 5 2025


Leaf on green background
Video

Webinar Session 1: Forest Recovery Strategies After Wildfire in Canada

Recording of Webinar Session 1: Forest Recovery Strategies After Wildfire in Canada, January 29, 2025


Shovel in ground
Video

Intro to Reforest Canada Collective - January 15, 2025

Recording of the live event "Intro to Reforest Canada Collective", January 15, 2025


moose in water
Guide

Restoring New Brunswick's Watersheds: A Toolkit

This toolkit hopes to take you through all the steps required to create small and large reforestation and restoration projects to benefit a watershed in New Brunswick.


Aerial view of a landscape with a rive running through it and shadows from clouds above
Article

RCC Article | Why the Reforest Canada Collective Was Formed

Read more about the origin of the RCC, who it is for and its intentions to connect and support Canada's tree planting and forest restoration community.


Habitat Resto
Guide

Habitat Restoration Tree Planting: Quick Facts

Guide to planning and implementing restoration-focused tree planting projects with public funding from the 2 Billion Trees (2BT) program in Atlantic Canada and the Wabanaki Forest.


Girl looking up a tree
Guide

Grow a Green Future: A Guide for Successful Tree Planting

Guide to empower communities, organizations, and individuals with the information they need to plant healthy forests. 


Canadian Forestry Regulations
Infographic

Canadian Forestry Regulations and Standards

Compiles all federal and provincial legislation and regulations in Canada and outlined sustainable forest management certification and company-specific forest management planning in Canada.


Yukon Forestry Handbook
Guide

Yukon Forestry Handbook

Handbook outlines selected forest management and planning activities of Yukon’s Forest Management branch (FMB) intended to assist the public, forest users, wood cutters, forest owners and others to gain a clear understanding of how forestry is carried out, particularly at the management level.


New England-Acadian Forest Restoration
Guide

New England–Acadian Forest Restoration: A Landowner’s Guide to Theory and Practice

Manual for landowners for the restoration of New England–Acadian Forest


Climate Smart Forestry
Document

Climate Smart Forestry: Expert Panel on Adaptive Strategies for Diverse Management Objectives

Document summarizing climate adaptation strategies, approaches, and tactics relevant to New Brunswick’s forests


NHRI_Adaptive_Silv
Guide

NHRI Adaptive Silviculture Volume 1

Guidebook on the appopaches of adaptive silviculture and climate-smart forestry in New Brunswick


Natural Climate Solutions
Guide

Natural Climate Solutions Handbook

Guidelines and best practices for navigating Natural Climate Solutions complexities and accurately assessing the nature-based climate mitigation potential in your country or jurisdiction


Plant Wizard
Tool

Plant Wizard / JRP Solutions Ltd. Seed & Seedling Management System

Plant Wizard is an application designed to help coordinate the many administration processes involved in the successful implementation of a tree planting project


Native Trees and Woodland Shrubs
Guide

Native Trees and Woodland Shrubs of Prince Edward Island

Historical reference to the native trees and shrubs of PEI, Canada


Provincial Seedling Stock
Guide

Provincial Seedling Stock Type Selection and Ordering Guidelines

Guidebook produced to assist silviculturalists in making stock type selection decisions in British Columbia


Guide

Planting Quality Inspection: Guide to Completing the FS 704

Field booklet is designed to assist planters, planting contractors, and inspectors in understanding the planting quality inspection procedure in British Columbia


Shakti tree map
Tool

Shakti Tree Map

Map of genetic tree seed zones for Alberta


Leaf
Document

Reforestation Standard of Alberta

Reforestation requirements for Alberta, including the procedures and methods to be used to determine whether or not an area of public land that is required to be reforested is satisfactorily reforested


Guide to the Common Native
Guide

Guide to the Common Native Trees and Shrubs of Alberta

Guide has been prepared to assist vegetation managers in the identification of the 29 most common woody plants found in Alberta


Guide to habitat attributes
Guide

Guide to Habitat Attributes by Ecosite for Multiple Species at Risk

Approach to multi-species at risk habitat management that links species habitat requirements to existing land classification systems (i.e., ecosite/range type and plant community type)


Leaf
Article

Guidance for successful tree planting initiatives

Literature review to provide detailed, forward-thinking guidance on how to address tree planting complexities to achieve more successful outcomes


Trees of Manitoba
Guide

Field Guide: Trees of Manitoba

Guide for species identification and profiles for tree species in Manitoba


Field Guide to the Ecosites
Guide

Field Guide to the Ecosites of Saskatchewan’s Provincial Forests

Forest ecosystem classification system that spans eight ecoregions in Saskatchewan


Document

Extension Note: Opportunities for Improvements to Reforestation Success

Various issues pertaining to artificial reforestation using coniferous planting stock are presented in the question/answer format


Leaf
Guide

Ecosystem-Based Forest Management Standards Manual

Technical document intended to be used by forest professionals to assist in the management of the forest of Prince Edward Island


Discussion Paper
Guide

Discussion Paper: Alternative Approaches to Afforestation

This discussion paper is intended to assemble information related to both conventional afforestation and more recently applied afforestation approaches having an ecological restoration focus


Common_Range_S
Guide

Common Range Plants of Southern Saskatchewan

Basic plant identification and reviews the common range plant species found throughout southern Saskatchewan


Common Range North Sask
Guide

Common Range Plants in Northern Saskatchewan

Basic plant identification and reviews the common range plant species found throughout northern Saskatchewan.


CBST Tool
Tool

Climate Seedlot Selection Tool (CBST) Version 6.0

Geospatial seedlot data for British Columbia


Assited Migration
Document

Assisted Migration as a Tool for Climate Change Adaptation in Canada

CIF Lecture Series presentation delivered by John Pedlar, Dan McKenney, CFS.


Alternative Silviculture
Document

Alternative Silviculture for Boreal Mixedwood Forests of Alberta

Report highlights some alternative silviculture procedures that maintain boreal mixedwood forests.


AbaData website
Tool

AbaData

Alberta-based software company providing GIS data mapping solutions for the energy, environmental, renewables & utilities industries.


Document

A Planter's Guide to Recognizing Optimum Microsites

This publication defines Microsite planting as choosing the best location to plant a seedling to ensure its optimum health and growth. It also describes planters as the last critical link in the long chain of events that strives to grow high quality trees.


Girl holding shovel
Guide

Step by Step: A Tree Planter's Handbook

Comprehensive training manual and reference guide for Canadian reforestation workers


Seedlings in a nursery tray
Article

Tree Improvement in Canada – past, present and future, 2023 and beyond

Consolidates the most current information available on tree improvement in Canada and provides a summary of key historical events leading to its development and expansion across the country


Upcoming Events

Take part in the conversations shaping the implementation of tree planting and forest restoration in Canada. 

Close up of a tree planter's hand pushing down on a bright blue shovel handle in long green grass with yellow flowers
Organized by:

Reforest Canada Collective

Mar 24, 2026

Monthly Open Meeting for 2BT Recipients

Event Details
Two people standing on a grassy path along a forest looking up into the trees
Organized by:

Reforest Canada Collective

Mar 17, 2026 - Mar 17, 2026

RCC Meeting on Communicating Collectively

1:30-2:30pm ET

Event Details
Organized by:

SERNbc

Mar 9, 2026 - Mar 9, 2026

Stocking Standards for Ecosystem Restoration: Diana Gerdenits, SERNbc

Part of the Northern BC CoP: Lunch 'n' Learn Webinar Series

3:30 PM - 4:30 PM PT

Event Details

You might be wondering... 

The Reforest Canada Collective is funded by the Government of Canada’s 2 Billion Trees (2BT) program. The RCC management team works closely with the 2BT team to identify capacity and resource gaps highlighted by 2BT recipients. However, the RCC is independent from the Government of Canada in its initiatives.  

The RCC is managed by Forests Canada staff with the generous voluntary support and input from its the contributing organizations of its working group.

No, the RCC does not directly provide funding. We do curate and create resources and host events to help organizations understand their funding options and identify the best opportunities for their objectives. 

The RCC team is not involved in the official review or award process of 2BT funding agreements. Applications for 2BT funding must be submitted directly through the Government of Canada’s official 2BT application portal.  

The Reforest Canada Collective is open to discussing partnerships to support our goal of increasing the scale and quality of tree planting and forest restoration projects nationwide.  

Contact our team at: hello@reforestcollective.ca

See All FAQs
Closeup of a small sapling growing in the forest floor.