Schools across the UK plant seeds, hedges and copses with the Woodland Trust
Students from across the UK will be taking part in national tree planting initiatives to help safeguard our native trees, hedgerows and create lasting woodland legacies.
The two projects ‘Hedge and Copse’ packs and ‘Seeds to Trees’ will see thousands of schools across the UK taking part in tree planting activities over the next month.
The initiatives are courteously of the Woodland Trust’s ground-breaking ‘Tree for All’ campaign, which was launched in September 2004. It is the largest children’s tree planting initiative the UK has ever seen and will inspire today’s youngsters to engage with nature and become environmental custodians of the future.
Paul Bunton of the Woodland Trust comments: “Because of modern lifestyles, many children are growing up with little connection with their natural environment. Tree For All - the UK’s largest ever children’s tree planting campaign - is about inspiring young people to become future guardians of the natural environment and to encourage people to become more in touch with nature, increasing understanding and enjoyment of woodland.
The school children will help to create havens for thousands of species and woodland areas for future generations to enjoy. Not only will they have the excitement of seeing their trees grow, but they will be able to plant the saplings in the school grounds.
Hedge & Copse Packs
Paul explains: “Thousands of miles of hedgerows disappeared during the last century, in the wake of agricultural development. Our hedge and copse initiative goes some small way to address the balance by planting new hedgerows and copses. Planting them with help from the next generation is an effective way to get the message across that we need to conserve hedgerows and woods we have left and to replace the ones we have destroyed.
The planting of a hedge or copse will attract wildlife and give schools ‘living classrooms’ which pupils can enjoy for years to come. Each hedge and copse pack has instructions on how to plant the saplings and worksheets about the various species. Planting and using a hedge or copse can contribute to Key Stage 2 in science, numeracy, literacy and art and design.
Since the launch of the Trust’s hedge and copse scheme in 2004, part of the Woodland Trust’s Tree for All campaign, schoolchildren in The UK have contributed to the reinstatement of 60 miles of hedgerows in the UK. This is good news considering that since the 1930s, fifty per cent of the UK’s ancient woods have been felled or damaged and 190,000km of hedgerow destroyed. The packs have reached as far as Fair Isle in the Shetlands, the remotest inhabited place in Britain, to Hull one of the least wooded city in the UK. To find out how your school or youth group can get involved visit http://www.woodland-trust.org.uk/hedge/
Seeds to Trees
During the next 18 months, thousands of youngsters will be planting seeds, before germinating and nurturing the young saplings and returning to the great outdoors to plant them. Over 1,000 schools across the entire UK will be receiving their packs this week.
All participating schools will get off to a flying start by receiving one of the Trust’s free birch seed growing kits, which include; a special growing tray, peat free compost, birch seed, course material and guidance notes prepared by the Woodland Trust
As well as the growing kits and instructions, an accompanying online facility which has additional educational resources for teachers and pupils; including fascinating facts, guides to sowing seeds, games and puzzles. For more information, visit
www.treeforall.org.uk/JoinIn/Seedstotrees
