If you plant it, it will grow World Cup forest could be lasting legacy "Touching a tree is like touching the cheek of God," says Maxine Druker, explaining her motivation behind creating a World Cup Forest. The forest — built up over the next 10 years Whistler hosts World Cup races — can be a lasting tribute to the international love affair with Whistler and its surrounding natural beauty. World Cup visitors can participate by making a donation toward purchasing trees for the "forest." Seedlings bought with donations will be planted in May, says Druker. The Tree Canada foundation — dedicated to re-greening Canada — is enthusiastically supporting the project and will take on responsibility to ensure the trees are planted and tended correctly. Druker hopes to see 6,000 trees bought for the project. The trees will be planted on three highly visible areas of Whistler Mountain. The main area will be under the village gondola, between the Black Chair and the Bear Paw ski run. "Because it's an ongoing project over the decade of Whistler World Cups, anyone flying over the forest in the gondola can see it and, we hope, be inspired to donate to planting more trees there," says Druker. The other two areas to be planted are near the top of the Green chair and on an old road site near midstation. An interpretative centre for the forest would make a nice addition to the project, Druker says, who is working on a sponsor for this.
