27 JUNE 2006
Future guardians of the natural environment
Is the future of our environment safe in tiny hands?
New research carried out by the Woodland Trust, the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity, reveals just how much our children know and care about trees, woods and the environment. The survey, part of the Trust’s ‘Tree For All’ campaign and funded by Environment and Heritage Service, quizzed Northern Ireland’s 9 to 11 year olds. While the response is generally optimistic, our young tree champions – our future woodland custodians – may be in need of a little helping hand.
Encouragingly, there was almost universal agreement that trees are important. Eighty per cent of children surveyed rated them as ‘very important’, with a further 17 per cent stating that they were ‘fairly important’. The role of trees in taking in carbon dioxide and providing us with oxygen was the most frequently cited attribute. While this is heartening, 81 per cent of the children surveyed felt that they only knew ‘a little’ about trees and the environment. It seems that our youngsters therefore have a fundamental understanding that trees do matter, but are lacking confidence about their level of knowledge.
Name that tree
When it comes to naming those trees, it’s concerning that 1 in10 (10 per cent) of the children interviewed were not able to think of any types of trees spontaneously.
When shown the pictures of leaves of native trees, bottom of the pile were ash and hazel with only 11 per cent and 4 per cent (respectively) identifying them correctly. The oak fared better with a third of children (33 per cent) recognising its leaves. Holly, as you might expect, came out top with most children (79%) identifying its leaves correctly.
Places of play
Perhaps why some children struggle to recognise some of our common trees is that they just don’t get the chance to meet them. The research found that the majority of children do prefer to play outdoors, with most playing in their garden. Worryingly, however, 7 in 10 (71 per cent) play on the street or road, with only a quarter (26 per cent) playing in woods or forest near their home.
Back to the chalk board
It’s encouraging that 4 in 5 children (81 per cent) have classes or lessons about environmental subjects at school. Plant and tree species topped the list with 35 per cent of children quoting this as part of their lessons. Litter and recycling (29 per cent); how to grow plants and trees (24 per cent); and the role of trees in taking in carbon dioxide and providing oxygen (19 per cent) are other subjects taught widely in Northern Ireland Primary Schools.
While the internet was cited as the most popular source of information on trees (49 per cent), the role of teachers and books is still significant: 31 per cent of children surveyed identified teachers as their source of information, with 26 per cent identifying books.
Bottom of European tree league
Almost 6 in 10 children (58 per cent) believed that the amount of trees in the area where they live was about right. In reality, Northern Ireland is extremely lacking in terms of woodland cover, and fares badly at the bottom of the European tree league with a mere 6 per cent woodland cover.
Give it some welly
Over 4 in 10 (44 per cent) have planted a tree, which is an encouraging start. It leaves, however, 60 per cent who have never planted a tree. And that’s where Tree For All comes in.
Tree For All aims to give every child the chance to plant a tree and has an ambitious target to plant 12 million trees throughout the UK; half a million of which are set to grace the Northern Ireland landscape. It doesn’t stop there. Tree For All wants to inspire children with a real love of nature.
“Woods are ideal places for children’s play,” says Brian Poots, the Trust’s senior woodland officer. “Children nowadays don’t always have the opportunity to explore or play in woodland. Through Tree For All we want to give children the chance to explore nature first-hand and the chance to plant a tree. It’s this hands-on activity which creates a vital link to nature, a real love of nature, and a willingness to act on its behalf. The more children - and adults - who can be enthused with respect for the natural world, the greater the hope for the future of the planet.”
To find out how you, your school, or your children can become involved visit www.treeforall.org.uk or telephone the Trust’s Bangor Office on 028 9127 5787.
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Notes to editors
For media enquiries contact:
Kaye Coates at the Woodland Trust on 028 9127 5787, email kayecoates@woodland-trust.org.uk or
The Woodland Trust Press Office on 01476 581121, e-mail media@woodland-trust.org.uk
Research
The survey was carried out by Millward Brown Ulster on behalf of the Woodland Trust, who conducted 250 face-to-face interviews with children, 9 to 11 year olds, in April and May 2006. The sample was representative of the Northern Ireland population in terms of gender, socio-economic group and geography. For a full copy of the findings, please telephone Kaye Coates at the Woodland Trust on 028 9127 5787 or email kayecoates@woodland-trust.org.uk
The Woodland Trust: The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 300,000 members and supporters. The Trust has four key aims: i) No further loss of ancient woodland; ii) Restoring and improving the biodiversity of woods; iii) Increasing new native woodland; iv) Increasing people’s understanding and enjoyment of woodland.
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). Access to its sites is free. Further news can be found at www.woodland-trust.org.uk
Here in Northern Ireland the Woodland Trust cares for 52 woods. These woods contain a mix of newly created community woodland, mature woodland and ancient woodland (land continuously wooded since 1600). We are also working to create the first comprehensive record of ancient woodland in Northern Ireland.
