February 2008

CHILDREN DIG UP NURSERY GROUNDS

Woodland Trust helps pupils from Learning Curve Day Nursery to create copse.

Schoolchildren from Learning Curve Day Nursery will this month join forces with the Woodland Trust, the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity, to plant a native copse in their school grounds. The trees and shrubs are all native broadleaved which means, that with a little luck, they will be growing on well into the next century – when the children’s grandchildren will be able to inspect their handiwork.

It’s all part of the Woodland Trust’s Tree For All campaign – the largest children’s tree-planting mission the UK has ever seen. Launched in 2004, the five-year project will see one million children plant 12 million trees. It’s hoped that through the simple act of planting trees, children will grow up with a respect for the environment.

Naida Malik, Learning Curve Day Nursery’s owner says: “We hope that this will inspire children at the earliest age to really get in touch with nature and learn about the ecology of these wonderful habitats.”

Paul Bunton of the Woodland Trust says: ” Each hedge and copse pack comes with full instructions on how to plant and care for the trees as well as worksheets to help the children learn about the trees they are planting and teacher’s notes on the exercises.”

Paul Bunton continues: “For many children throughout the country, this will be the first time they will ever plant a tree. Educating today’s children about the benefit of looking after our environment will help protect the forests of tomorrow. By planting and looking after these hedges and copses the children are contributing to a greener future for all of us.”

Further information about Tree For All can be found at www.treeforall.org.uk