Delta Program Helping to Reforest Canada

In just 32 months, more than 100,000 trees have been planted in conserved lands across Alberta as a result of Delta Hotels by Marriott’s GreenSTAY program.

Delta Hotels by Marriott associates and Don Cleary (fifth from left), president of Marriott International Canada, planting trees during a GreenSTAY™ program planting event.

The GreenSTAY program was launched in 2015 by Delta in partnership with social responsibility firm WEARTH. The program gives guests the option to plant one tree for each night they opt out of housekeeping. WEARTH plants the trees on behalf of every applicable GreenSTAY guest night, and guests, who can also plant a matching virtual treen online, must stay two nights to participate in the program.

By opting out of the housekeeping services, guests reduce the amount of chemicals, water and energy being used in the hotel daily. The indirect benefit is the simultaneous restoration of Canadian forests and land to their natural ecological state.

“Most of our hotel sustainability endeavours are focused on efforts to conserve within our hotels. The Delta Hotels GreenSTAY program provides the opportunity for guests to join us to help conserve natural resources in Canada’s forest lands, thus reaching beyond our hotels’ doors,” says Don Cleary, president, Marriott Hotels of Canada. “We are extremely proud of reaching 100,000 trees planted in Alberta, and look forward to planting the next 100,000 in Niagara, Ontario and across the country.”

The 100,000 trees that have been planted by WEARTH are native species and have restored more than 258,000 square feet of forest—about 163 NHL rinks—near Manning, Alberta. The next region the program will focus on is Niagara, Ontario, where forests have been depleted due to the destructive effects of the Emerald Ash Borer Beetle.

“We became a proud part of the GreenSTAY program because of the opportunity it provided to plant more trees here in Canada and the dedication Delta Hotels by Marriott has shown for taking the next step to share their sustainability journey,” says WEARTH co-founder Brad Rabiey. “The first 100,000 trees has meant significant restoration in the fragmented Boreal region of Alberta and we are already seeing animal use increasing, something which will be monitored and reported as the forest matures. This initiative is allowing us to restore natural habitats across Canada one seedling at a time.”