The seeds have been planted, now we're looking to grow

The Trees of Knowledge™ program is back for 2012 and will award one eco-conscious school a complete, customized outdoor classroom, valued at $20,000. The program was created last year by MAJESTA, the soft and green choice for household paper products, in partnership with Tree Canada and Focus on Forests to help teachers and students experience the benefits of being outdoors.  All Canadian schools can apply by visiting www.majesta.com and entering before January 27, 2012.

"We created the Trees of Knowledge program to help educate Canadian students and teachers about the importance of environmental sustainability. The winning school gets to see the benefits in action with an outdoor classroom," says Jim Schedler, Vice President of Marketing for MAJESTA. "Judging from the impressive entries we received last year, many Canadian schools, teachers and students are passionate about the environment. The contest has taken root in its first year and we are looking to branch out and receive submissions from all across Canada this year."

Last year's program received more than 50 applications from schools across the country. The creative submissions included ideas that ranged from composting initiatives to the design of a living roof, which would feature plant life growing from it. The winning submission, from St. Paul Elementary School in Beaconsfield, Quebec, outlined how the classroom would be used to enrich learning experiences and foster an appreciation for the environment.

"We want to thank all the schools that entered in 2011. We're very excited about the new elements of our program for 2012, which includes the addition of a video component and allowing 2011 applicants to make minimal changes to their entry from last year and to resubmit," says Schedler.  "Interested schools should visit www.majesta.com for more information and resubmit or apply for the first time to our Trees of Knowledge program. It's an innovative way to drive home the importance of the environment to the next generation."

The winning school will receive:

• A customized outdoor classroom, valued at $20,000.
• The outdoor classroom can include things like topsoil, boulders/furniture (large rocks, logs/stumps), coniferous trees, deciduous trees, shrubs, or planters.
• Trees of Knowledge program partners, Tree Canada, an organization dedicated to empowering communities to develop and maintain their green infrastructure, will provide technical support to the school. The school will also receive curriculum support through Focus on Forests, a teaching tool that provides hands-on activities and support materials for outdoor learning.

How the Trees of Knowledge competition works:
To enter the Trees of Knowledge competition, schools must submit the following by January 27, 2012:

• A completed application form, available to download at: www.majestatreesofknowledge.ca/apply
• A 400 word essay on why their school is the most worthy candidate for an outdoor classroom
• One to five photos of the school grounds, including the proposed site of the outdoor classroom
• A landscape-site plan
• A letter of commitment for the outdoor classroom project from the School Board
• A two minute video component entry (optional)

Applications will be judged based on criteria such as the strength of the plan, the impact the classroom will have and the longevity and sustainability of the outdoor classroom project. Judges will select the finalist schools from which the winner will be chosen by online voting.

About MAJESTA:
MAJESTA is the soft and green choice for household paper products. MAJESTA products are made from trees from J.D. Irving, Limited's forests. As part of its award-winning commitment to responsible forest management, J.D. Irving, Limited plants seedlings every spring and summer to reforest the woodlands. In the past 50+ years, J.D. Irving, Limited has planted over 850 million trees. Since 2001, J.D. Irving, Limited's forests have been certified by The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. ("SFI"). Our promise is: "We plant three trees for every one we use to produce MAJESTA products." Both soft and green, MAJESTA delivers the softness you can feel and feel good about.
www.majesta.com

About Tree Canada:
Tree Canada is a not-for-profit, charitable organization established in 1992. Under the direction of a 13-member volunteer Board of Directors, Tree Canada provides education, technical assistance, resources and financial support through working partnerships to encourage Canadians to plant and care for trees in rural and urban areas.
www.treecanada.ca

About Focus on Forests:
Focus on Forests provides hands-on activities and support materials to assist teachers of all grade levels. The lesson plans are well organized and designed to be easily adapted to any teaching environment or grade level. Focus on Forests is a program of the Ontario Forestry Association. Together with Tree Canada, these two groups have combined their efforts to bring this forest education program to a Canada-wide audience and highlight the value that Focus on Forests plays in introducing forests to Canadian classrooms. This exciting new partnership is supported by Irving Consumer Products, the makers of MAJESTA household paper products.
www.focusonforests.ca

For further information:

Laura Arlabosse-Stewart / Andrea Hanft
Paradigm Public Relations
lstewart@paradigmpr.ca / ahanft@paradigmpr.ca
416-203-2223