Last week Simple Life’s Biodiversity project went back to school, joining the staff and children at Waverley Primary School in Doncaster, to plant a mini forest on a strip of land beside their school. 147 very excited and energetic children aged 5-11, and their teachers, joined Tim from CLAN (Cultivating Learning and Nature) and Niamh from Simple Life Homes, to plant 200 trees. The Royal Forestry Society’s Teaching Trees team are behind the promoting and management of these events.
The children learned about the importance and benefits of trees for life on earth, and their knowledge impressed. They mentioned lots of points around beauty, food source, CO² capturing, O² release, shade provision, and habitats for many creatures. Their vision and message is ‘Legacy’, as they understand the time it will take for the trees to grow, and they chatted about how in the years ahead they will be able to enjoy and show others what they contributed to the community.
It was wonderful to hear the children so animated, so excited, so engaged, and so knowledgeable about this topic, which bodes well for the planet and society going forward. They asked the tree types, (cherry, field maple, rowan, and silver birch) and hoped theirs was a cherry with lots of blossom!
Providing such opportunities is so important, as engagement and education will nurture understanding, responsibility and ownership going forward. We are committed, and excited, to be able to work with young people, schools and communities, enhancing biodiversity and access to nature in this way.
Waverley staff commented:
“We would like to share our thanks for an extraordinary day of tree planting yesterday. The children had so much fun, and learned a great deal about nature and the environment. We will feedback to the children further after Easter, monitoring the trees growth and talking about the ‘Green Legacy’ they have created. We greatly look forward to the outdoor learning sessions in the Autumn.”