Celebrate extraordinary trees

Share your tree stories and help us inspire others about incredible trees.

For this challenge, we invite your pupils to celebrate the amazing trees in their lives and tell us why they’re so important.

We’d like to gather memories, artwork, poems and photos to create a vibrant collection of heartfelt personal stories that can be used to inspire young people and communities about trees.

How to complete this challenge

This challenge is worth two points on our Green Tree Schools Award.

To earn your points, your school needs to provide at least five examples from pupils that demonstrate why they love trees.

You can do this in all sorts of ways. Your pupils might like to:

• write about their chosen tree
• create a piece of art
• share their feelings through poetry or song
• take photos of their tree
• film a short video.

Ideas and inspiration

You don't need to live in a leafy area to take part in this challenge. Your students could be inspired by a famous tree, one that features in a book or a game, or a tree they fondly remember from a holiday. Whatever they choose, we can't wait to hear about it.

To help your pupils get started, here are some ideas to consider.

Tell us about a tree that’s important to you

Maybe it’s one you pass every day on your way to school, the towering giant in the park that’s perfect for climbing, or a tree that takes you back to a favourite holiday. It could be one you planted with your own hands, or even a memorable tree from a much-loved book.

We'd love to hear how you feel about your tree and why it means so much to you.

Share your favourite tree memory

Tell us about a special moment in your life that’s connected to trees. Maybe it’s the joy of collecting conkers each autumn, or the blossom tree near your home that lifts your spirits in spring. Perhaps you remember picnics in the shade of a leafy oak, or you look forward to decorating a Christmas tree with your family each year.

How does your tree memory make you feel?

Tell us about a remarkable tree

Do you know a tree with a fascinating story? We’d love to hear it!

Perhaps it’s a living legend that has stood for centuries, a tree that’s survived against all odds, or one planted to mark a special occasion. Share your tree tales with us so we can celebrate them with others.

Wow us with jaw-dropping facts

Do you know any top facts or surprising stats about trees? Why not do a tree investigation and share your mind-blowing discoveries with us?

Celebrate a tree superpower

Trees are awe-inspiring. They’re the lungs of our planet and they support people and nature in so many ways.

Choose an extraordinary tree superpower and tell us why it’s important to you. Here are some ideas to help.

• Trees and green spaces boost our physical and mental health.
• Trees provide vital homes and food for wildlife.
• Trees clean the air we breathe.
• Trees provide shade which helps cool our towns and cities.
• Trees absorb CO₂ and help in the fight against climate change.
• Trees inspire us to create art, poetry, stories, music and much more.

Outdoor adventure (optional)

For a whole-class experience or homework task, encourage your pupils to head outdoors and choose one tree to investigate. Ask them to think about the questions below.

• Why did you pick this tree?
• What does your tree look like and where does it stand?
• Can you identify what species it is?
• Use your senses to explore the bark, leaves and flowers. What do you discover?
• What do you think your tree looks like in different seasons?
• Can you see any wildlife visiting the tree?
• If it’s an old tree, think about what it might have seen in its long life. If it’s a younger tree, imagine what its future might look like.
• How does your tree make you feel?

How to claim your points

This challenge is worth two points on our award. To claim them, you need to provide five examples that show why trees are important to your pupils. Quotes, creative writing, artwork, photos and videos are all accepted.

To submit your evidence, log onto your Green Tree Schools Award dashboard and click the 'Submit evidence' button at the top right of the screen. Complete the form to show how you've completed this challenge and we’ll award your points within 10 working days.

How we use quotes and photos

We like to use comments and photos from schools to inspire other teachers and young people about outdoor learning. With your permission, they could appear on our award materials, website, press releases and social media.

You can find out more about how we use and look after your personal information in our privacy policy.