St Peter’s Primary School is just one of the many schools in West Dunbartonshire where pupils are donning their gardening gloves this spring and planting native trees through the Woodland Trust’s “Hedge and Copse” scheme.
The scheme is part of the Trust’s Tree for All project, which is the biggest children’s tree planting initiative in the UK. The Trust, the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity, supplied over 7,000 free hedge and copse packs this spring which each contain 30 saplings.
Since the launch of the hedge and copse scheme in 2004 children in the UK have reinstated the equivalent of 230 miles of hedgerows. Including this spring’s saplings, 1.8 million trees will have been planted directly from hedge and copse packs.
Rebecca Whitley project officer said: “Not only are hedge and copse packs helping young children learn the important role they have to play in looking after the environment but the packs also help ensure our native woodland will flourish in years to come. The packs are also supported by free online planting advice and curriculum linked resources.”
She continues “Hedge and copse packs are just one of the many ways the Trust works with young people. If the Trust is successful in acquiring the Lang Craigs site – we plan to offer schools tree planting days on the site which will enable children to forge a connection with the growing woodland.”
The free packs contain either thirty native hedge trees including; hawthorn, hazel, holly, dogrose and dogwood, or thirty native copse trees including; birch, rowan and wild cherry.
The Tree for All campaign has a target to plant one tree for every child under 16 in the UK, which equates to some 12 million trees. So far 7.5 million trees have been planted across the UK involving more than 2.1 million people, with the area planted equivalent to almost 13,000 football pitches.
10,000 schools and youth groups can receive free ‘harvest hedgerow’ tree packs this autumn through Sainsbury’s Active Kids scheme.
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Notes to editors
Schools in West Dunbartonshire participating: Dumbarton Academy, St Peters Primary, Dalreoch Primary School, Cardross Primary School, Our Holy Redemmers Primary School, Whitecrook Primary School, St Stephen’s Primary School, Our Lady of Loretto Primary School, Kilpatrick Primary School, Edinbarnet Primary School, St Joseph’s Primary School, Gartoharan Primary School, Jamestown Primary School, Bonhill Primary School.
The Woodland Trust: The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 300,000 members and supporters. The Trust has three key aims: i) To enable the creation of more native woods and places rich in trees ii) To protect native woods, trees and their wildlife for the future; iii) To inspire everyone to enjoy and value woods and trees.
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres).
In 1984, the Trust acquired its first wood in Scotland. Today the Trust owns 80 sites across Scotland covering 8,500 hectares. Further news can be accessed via www.woodlandtrust.org.uk
Lang Craigs Appeal
The Trust launched a £1.5 million appeal to acquire and create new native woodland on the outskirts of Dumbarton. The Trust hopes that local people will become involved in every stage of the site’s evolution, both in terms of planning and practical help, children can use the various landscapes as ‘outdoor classrooms’. For more information visit www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/langcraigs