Feature: From little acorns, children plant a million trees to learn about nature

A scheme to encourage junior school children to plant a million native trees in England was launched Saturday.

Government environment secretary Elizabeth Truss joined young students to start the first phase which will see trees such as cherry, silver birch, hawthorn and hazel, supplied free to schools so they can be planted in their communities.

It is part of a bigger plan to plant 11 million trees over the five-year life of the parliament.

The Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss launched the first phase of the scheme, which will provide up to 45,000 native British trees for schools, at Elmhurst Primary School today. The school, with 1,000 pupils, is in the London borough of Newham.

The charity, the Woodland Trust, has been recruited by the government to spearhead the project which is initially open to 7,000 state-funded primary schools in England.

A department spokesman said: "The scheme will give young children the chance to understand and connect with nature, and play a role in making their school grounds and local communities cleaner and greener.

"It will also support the new national curriculum to ensure children can identify iconic native trees like the oak. Together, this will help the next generation to understand the benefits of a healthy environment for our prosperity and wellbeing."

Calling on schools to take part in the project Truss said: "From the Oak to the Mountain Ash, our fantastic native trees are crucial to our growing economy and a healthy, natural environment.

"Already we have more tree cover in the UK than at any time since the 14th century, but it's vital that young school children feel a part of this natural history and connected to the environment."

Children from participating schools will be given the opportunity to learn about different types of trees before planting saplings in their school grounds, local parks or open spaces - with an opportunity to monitor their growth.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said: "The new primary curriculum requires children to be taught to identify a wide variety of plants and trees in their first years of school. This tree planting initiative will provide schools with real life examples of a number of species of tree and how they are planted and grown.

Beccy Speight of The Woodland Trust said: "Without this scheme children might never otherwise get a chance to plant a tree, and we know from our research it's a memory they'll treasure for years to come. It often starts their relationship with the natural world and all the benefits that brings. This scheme offers schools that have found it hard in the past a new way to plant trees and bring an oasis of green into their community." Endit