Youngsters branch out for school planting
PUPILS from St John’s Primary School, Crossens, planted more than 300 trees in the grounds despite snow falling as they worked.
Staff from The Mersey Forest worked with every year group to plant the trees as part of the government’s Trees for Learning programme which aims to support primary schools to plant one million trees by 2020.
The pupils braved subzero temperatures on Tuesday, February 6 to plant a broad range of native trees and hedges throughout the day.
Children worked in groups to mark out and then dig deep holes in a boggy field and get their chosen saplings off to the very best start.
Trees for Learning project officer Steph Hepworth said: “Planting trees has a special significance for children in schools as many of them will be around to see their tree growing as they move up through the school.
“This helps to give them a sense of belonging to their surroundings and fosters a desire to nurture their environment.
“Some of the Year 6 children feel sad that they won’t be around to see their tree come to maturity, but take great comfort from t h e thought younger siblings o r friends will take care of it.”
The t ree planting sessions give staff the opportunity to discuss biodiversity with the children: prompting them to consider what creatures will live in t h e hedgero rows they were planting and how they c could e encoura age more w wi l d l i f e into their school environment.
The work links to the national curriculum encouraging discussions about how trees and the environment are part of other important issues like health and global warming.
Year 4 teacher Ms Hudson said: “It’s wonderful to get the children out of the classroom, rolling up their sleeves and getting their hands dirty doing something practical to improve the school environment for all of us, and for wildlife.
“And even better, we’re doing it in the snow!”
Many teachers and teaching assistants taking part in the scheme find that pupils really thrive in an outdoor learning environment and feel fewer restrictions on their ability to learn and express themselves.
This part of the Trees for Learning scheme is being run by community forests all over England, working with about 1,000 schools to plant 164,000 trees.
The Mersey Forest is working with schools throughout Merseyside and Cheshire and has planted 15,000 trees with children since last September, in the first year of the project.
Any school interested in taking part in the Trees for Learning scheme should contact The Mersey Forest on 01925 816 217 or on social media @Trees4 Learning