MONTREAL, Oct. 29 /CNW Telbec/ - TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF), one of Canada's longest-serving environmental charities, has reached a major milestone in the Montreal area by providing over $750,000 in funding to local environment and wildlife projects since 1990. TD FEF has funding available and is inviting non-profit organizations with a charitable registration number and schools in Montreal to apply for funding online at www.tdfef.com.

"We're a national organization with a grassroots focus. Our goal is to work with Canadians who are dedicated to preserve and protect their local environments and ecosystems," says Annick Laberge, spokesperson for TD Friends of the Environment Foundation in Quebec. "Thanks to the financial support and active involvement of Montreal residents, we've been able to make a positive difference in the community for nearly 20 years by supporting close to 250 local environment and wildlife projects."Projects recently supported by TD FEF in the Montreal area include:

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    - A provincial bird inventory by Bird Studies Canada. Hundreds of
      volunteers went into the field to count and record the number of bird
      species. Bird species thought to be decreasing in population will be
      further examined to try and determine the cause of the decrease.
    - A project by the Corporation d'initiatives environmentales Lajemmerais
      introduced recycling and composting in a variety of public daycare and
      school environments. The significant amount of waste generated by
      attendees and staff will be recycled or composted, therefore reducing
      the impact on landfill sites.
    - A Jeunes au travail initiative to create a wetland pond with various
      aquatic plants which will help filter run-off waters. The water will
      then be used to irrigate adjacent farming fields. Youth participating
      in this initiative will gain a greater appreciation of the need for
      clean water, and secondly how run-off water can be re-used safely.
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"Every dollar donated to TD FEF goes directly to funding local projects in the community where the donation was made. Donors can be sure that their contribution is supporting environment and wildlife projects in their own backyard," says Laberge.The types of projects supported by TD FEF include (but are not limited to):

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    - Wildlife rehabilitation
    - Education programs for children
    - Environmental cleanups
    - Tree planting campaigns
    - Conservation and recycling initiatives
    - Urban renewal
    >>

Non-profit organizations interested in submitting a request for financial support to TD Friends of the Environment Foundation should visit www.tdfef.com for more information. Funding applications are only accepted online.Besides applying for funding, there are several ways Montreal residents can get involved with TD FEF:

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    - Become a TD FEF donor by giving as little as a few dollars per month by
      donating online at http://www.fef.td.com/donate.jsp or by visiting any
      TD Canada Trust branch;
    - Volunteer with a local TD FEF Chapter Advisory Board:
      http://www.fef.td.com/advisoryboard.jsp;
    - Join the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation fan page on
      Facebook.
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About TD Friends of the Environment Foundation:

Since 1990, TD FEF has provided $49 million in funding to over 18,000 grassroots environment and wildlife projects across Canada. In 2008, TD FEF provided more than $3 million in support of over 800 projects. Thousands of donors give to TD FEF on a monthly basis and TD Bank Financial Group contributes in excess of $1 million annually. TD also covers the management costs of running TD FEF, which guarantees 100 per cent of every dollar donated goes directly to funding environment and wildlife projects in the community where the donation was made. For more information on how to donate and get involved in your community, visit www.tdfef.com.

For further information: Mathieu Beaudoin, Morin Relations Publiques, (514) 289-8688 ext. 225, mathieu@morinrp.com; Fiona Hirst, TD Bank Financial Group, (514) 385-2222 ext. 2474, fiona.hirst@tdassurance.com