Locals dig in for tree initiative in Malahide 

A GROUP of Northside scouts and students came together recently to plant 1,000 trees in their community as part of a new initiative. 

Malahide Sea Scouts and students of St Oliver Plunkett’s, St Andrew’s, St John Paul II and Malahide-Portmarnock Educate Together schools gathered at Robswall Park to plant the trees. 

The ‘Easy-Treesie’ initiative is part of the UN sponsored ‘Plant-for-the-Planet’ programme inspired by teacher and Nobel Laureate Wangari Mathai and aims to plant one trillion trees globally. It aims to plant one million trees in Ireland by 2023.

Children in over 100 countries have come together to tackle climate change through the symbolic and practical means of planting a tree in their locality.

Colin Gilhooley of Fingal County Council’s Operations Department attended the event.

“This native-tree initiative extends the existing shelter belt on the hill to provide welcome wildlife habitats,” said Mr Gilhooley. 

Fingal County Council supplied the recycled Christmas tree mulch, which the children ferried in wheelbarrows to the planted area. 

The scouts and students started the day with hot chocolate and cookies donated by the Gourmet Food Parlour.

Fingal Mayor Anthony Lavin joined the students and scouts later at Malahide Parish Pastoral Centre where he awarded ‘Plant-for-the-Planet Climate Ambassador’ certificates to all the participants.  

This followed presentations by the pupils on the importance of tree planting for capturing carbon dioxide. 

Mayor Lavin said: “It is a pleasure to properly recognise and thank the almost 50 children for giving up their Saturday to improve our public park. 

“The native Irish trees chosen here by Fingal County Council will help improve the local amenity, combat global warming and increase biodiversity in the area. “We are delighted to be affording these children the chance to be stewards of their own local environment.”

Cllr Joe Newman (Ind) and volunteers from the Swords Woodland Association and Malahide Tidy Towns also attended the event. 

For more information on the initiative, please visit www.easyTreesie.com