Special initiative – Tree planting project

21 November 2025 / 19 Power 182

All Local Spiritual Assemblies
All Regional Bahá’í Councils
All Registered Groups

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

One of the first steps taken in 2024, parallel with pursuing the rezoning process for the lands on which Canada’s House of Worship will be raised up, was the purchase of 850 saplings that will enrich the surrounding environment and forest, replacing invasive species and deadfall with carefully chosen native species. The arrival of these small saplings was a moment of sheer delight. They were a symbol of our confidence in both the successful conclusion of the rezoning process, and of the processes of growth gaining strength in the country that attracted the blessing of a national Temple. A group of friends and families gathered to plant these saplings in pots, and over the next year they were tended and protected, including over the winter, growing faster and stronger than was predicted. This year, another 600 saplings were purchased, and the first group of what are now young trees have been planted in the earth.

The National Assembly wishes to announce a special initiative, offering to the friends the opportunity to support this aspect of a historic project through contributing towards the cost of one or more saplings in the name of a loved one. The suggested amount is anywhere between $250 and $500 per tree. Each of the trees is tagged, and those contributing will be alerted when the tree is planted. Contributions can be made via the Canadian Temple Fund – Tree Planting Project, along with the name of the person in whose honour the tree is being planted. For this project, to simplify accounting and ensure an accurate record of both donor and the person in whose name the contribution is being made, the contribution should be made directly to the Bahá’í National Centre—either through the online contribution portal or by cheque sent to the Bahá’í National Centre, 7200 Leslie Street, Thornhill, ON L3T 6L8. Instructions for the online contribution portal are appended below.

Bahá’u’lláh says: “Incline your hearts, O people of God, unto the counsels of your true, your incomparable Friend. The Word of God may be likened unto a sapling, whose roots have been implanted in the hearts of men. It is incumbent upon you to foster its growth through the living waters of wisdom, of sanctified and holy words, so that its root may become firmly fixed and its branches may spread out as high as the heavens and beyond.” In the Riḍván 2025 message, the Universal House of Justice employs similar imagery: “…the seed of the Faith has yielded new green shoots and the capacity for working with many souls at once has begun to emerge.” In the saplings, these beautiful comparisons come to life, drawing together the elements of one divine enterprise—the Temple with its sacred environs and the community-building endeavors that have attracted this blessing to Canada. As the young saplings around the Temple land grow into trees, and the trees into a forest, so too may the seeds you are planting in the hearts of your friends, neighbours, and family take root, blossom, and flourish.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,
Karen McKye, Secretary

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How to contribute through the online portal

1. Log into your membership profile and in the box “Bahá’í Fund Contribution System”, select “Tree Planting Project”.
2. Click on “Make New Contribution”.
3. Of the three options, choose “Contribute through National Centre”.
4. Under the category of Canadian Temple Fund, enter an amount between $250 and $500, and on the next screen, choose “None of the above”. Then choose “One Time Payment” and choose whether you wish to use a credit card or make an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). Once your contribution has been made, return to the main menu (Membership Portal), and click on “Tree Planting Project”. Your contribution will appear at the bottom of the screen, and you may name the individual you wish to honour through your donation.