When did you last stop to look at a tree? Look at it, not merely notice it. Trees play such an important role in our lives and yet day to day we often don’t notice them; we take them for granted. Yet if you are looking to enhance your grounds, reduce pollution around your school, improve your children’s health and wellbeing and develop your science curriculum, then planting trees is the way forward.

 

Why should schools be planting trees?

The first and most obvious benefit of starting a tree-planting scheme is the environmental impact. Children are passionate, and often highly knowledgeable, about climate change and the main causes of it. They are also engaged by projects that can make a difference in their community’s carbon footprint. Planting trees is an easy, and long-lasting, way to involve pupils and to have a positive impact on the climate.

Trees combat climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere; they improve air quality by absorbing a range of gases and filtering particulates from the air; they prevent soil erosion, especially around river banks; they reduce the risk of flooding, and they produce oxygen.

And it’s not just people who benefit: trees provide habitats for hundreds of species of insects, birds and small mammals. A tree-planting scheme offers teachers the opportunity to discuss biodiversity and gives pupils the chance to engage with a tangible example. It’s a real-life science experiment and will provide you with amazing habitats to study in science lessons for years to come.

Trees boost pupils' wellbeing

As well as the obvious environmental benefits, planting trees can also have a positive impact on children’s mental health.

Mental health is a complex issue with many causal factors and no simple solutions. However, the opportunity to play and learn in outdoor environments has been quoted in research studies as a significant positive influence.

Being active will also improve children’s general health and wellbeing, as well as boosting engagement more generally by providing an enjoyable context for learning. Parents and the community, too, will enjoy the improved aesthetics of the school grounds.

A global problem

Yet, even with all these obvious advantages, there’s an issue around trees – or the lack of them. There are about 3 trillion trees worldwide. About 15 billion of these are cut down every year and in the past 12,000 years, humans have destroyed 46 percent of the Earth’s forests.

How can your school get involved in tree planting?

One way to get involved is to join the اِزرع بلادك، نبنيو الدنيا زينا campaign, all you need to do is sign up a request to get FREE plants from Forest Administration in your region. Then, your search for the closest place where you can receive your saplings by clicking on this link: https:https://www.google.com/maps .

Make sure to get your headmaster/ Dean/Director's approval before you plan on planting the trees on your kindergarden/school/ college 's garden.

Once you are set up to plant, follow these steps:

Step 1: Dig a hole 3 inches deeper than the length of the roots.

Tip: choose a place with good wind protection.

Step 2:  Carefully remove the tree from its current container or pot.

Tip: Loosen up the soil a little bit to help the roots spread out. 

Step 3: Backfill the hole with the removed soil. Compress the soil as you fill the hole.

Tip: cover the entirety of the roots to stop them from drying out.

Step 4: Add mulch around the sapling to help with water retention and weeds.

Tip: make a ring of mulch around the tree but avoid having it touch the bark.  

 

 

With climate change in the news and at the top of the political agenda, now is the perfect time to discuss these issues and get everyone to plant trees could be the perfect way to become part of the solution.