TD Bank Champions the Environment with Major Commitment to Urban Forestry, Sustainable Cities and Community Responsibility

CHERRY HILL, N.J., Sept. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank^®, announced two significant environmental initiatives focused on forest conservation, urban forestry, and community development as part of the bank's TD Forests program.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081031/NEF005LOGO-a)

TD Bank has pledged a multi-year commitment of $1.5 million to the New York Restoration Project (NYRP) to support MillionTreesNYC, a citywide tree planting program that is a key component of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's sustainability initiative, PlanNYC 2030. TD Bank's commitment will enable the program to achieve its goal of planting and caring for one million trees across the five boroughs of New York by 2015 – two years earlier than projected.

"At TD Bank, we are passionate and committed to the environment, and we consider it in everything we do. Our support of MillionTreesNYC is the perfect way for us to continue to support this goal," said Diana Glassman, Head of Environmental Affairs at TD Bank. "As an environmental leader, we integrate the environment into each layer of business, and continue to find new opportunities where we can make sustainable impact."

"TD Bank's commitment to environmental stewardship gives MillionTreesNYC a major boost as we approach the finish line," said Amy Freitag, Executive Director of NYRP. "TD's passion for the environment and long commitment to tree planting makes them an ideal partner to help us achieve our ambitious goal of planting 1 million trees two years ahead of schedule. TD is helping us make New York a stronger, more environmentally resilient city."

Additionally, TD Bank, in conjunction with NYRP and Alliance for Community Trees (ACTrees), will launch its third annual TD Tree Days this month beginning in New York and continuing throughout the bank's footprint. The events will see more than 1,000 TD employees plant more than 1,600 trees in 18 locations from Maine to Florida. This number has more than doubled from the nearly 500 trees planted last year. As the Bank's flagship volunteer program, TD Tree Days is another example of TD's commitment to the environment.

"On behalf of Parks, I'd like to thank TD Bank for their generous support and all the TD volunteers who will come out to help in greening NYC this fall," said NYC Parks Commissioner Veronica M. White. "And many thanks to NYRP for its continued partnership and dedication to planting trees and beautifying open spaces citywide."

As a component of TD Forests, the bank's initiative to reduce paper use and preserve and protect critical forest habitats, TD Tree Days works to grow urban forests in local communities.

"We're so proud of our work with TD Bank to deliver TD Tree Days to a growing number of cities across the country," says Carrie Gallagher, ACTrees Executive Director. "People understand instinctively that trees are vital to communities. TD Bank is helping more people and places get the many benefits of trees."

To learn more about TD Bank's commitment to the environment, go to mediaroom.tdbank.com.

About TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank^®
TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing nearly 8 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at approximately 1,300 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth^®, and vehicle financing and dealer commercial services through TD Auto Finance. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit www.tdbank.com. Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US.

TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol "TD." To learn more, visit www.td.com.

About MillionTreesNYC
MillionTreesNYC is a public-private partnership between NYRP and the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation through which one million new trees will be planted and cared for across NYC's five boroughs by 2015. Composed of more than five million trees and 168 species, New York City's urban forest is one of the most valuable environmental assets along the East Coast, and a critical component of the city's long-term health and sustainability. Trees provide numerous quality-of-life benefits, including cooling our streets and sidewalks, cleaning air and water, and providing wildlife habitat. New Yorkers can visit the program's site, www.milliontreesnyc.org, to learn more about how they can contribute by planting a tree, adopting a tree, or making a donation to the initiative.

About New York Restoration Project
Founded by Bette Midler in 1995, New York Restoration Project (NYRP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming open space in underserved communities to create a greener, more sustainable New York City. Unlike traditional conservancies that care for a specific place, NYRP is the only New York City conservancy that works citywide, bringing private resources to spaces that lack adequate municipal support. NYRP is also the leading private partner to the City of New York in MillionTreesNYC – an initiative to plant and care for one million new trees throughout New York City's five boroughs by 2015. To learn more, please visit www.nyrp.org.

About Alliance for Community Trees
Alliance for Community Trees (ACTrees) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health and livability of cities by planting and caring for trees. With over 200 member and partner organizations in 44 states and Canada, ACTrees engages volunteers to take action to improve the environment where 93% of people live: in cities, towns, and metropolitan areas  in urban areas. Together, ACTrees member organizations have planted and cared for more than over 15 million trees with help from over 5 million volunteers. Learn more about ACTrees, its mission, and its member organizations at www.ACTrees.org and follow us on Twitter @alliance4trees.

SOURCE TD Bank