Children at St Mary’s Broughton Gifford Primary School helped to plant 30 new trees across the school grounds to expand their existing school forest.
The planting was part of The Woodland Trust’s Free Trees for Schools and Communities project, aimed at ensuring everyone in the UK has the chance to plant a tree and was organised teaching assistant, Lis Gunney.
Lis said, “I applied for the tree pack from the Woodland Trust, as I thought this would be a great opportunity for the children to be involved in a project that would have a positive impact on the school, community and the environment.
“The children were able to connect with nature and had fun planting the saplings. They enjoyed working together to dig and plant their own trees, which they can look after and watch grow over time. Once established the trees will provide habitats for insects, birds and small mammals, encouraging wildlife and enhancing the school environment for the children.”
One pupil, Zac Anstey aged 11, said, “It’s good for the environment to have more trees because they give us oxygen to breath, but it’s also good for the birds and other wildlife, like owls and mice, who will have new homes to live in.”
Another pupil, Sam Cottle also aged 11, said, “It’s nice to have more trees in the school ground so when people come to visit, they see our huge forest and enjoy how nice the trees and how big it is! In the summer, we can enjoy the shade they give and in the autumn the trees change colour, which will look lovely. I also enjoyed getting to go outside and get muddy!”
