CHILDREN at a Northside school recently took part in a climate action global initiative.
Pupils at Belgrove National Schools in Clontarf planted a native silver birch tree in their school grounds as part of ‘Easy Treesie’.
Despite several surveys by the school’s green committee only one small space was to be found available for tree planting on its grounds.
However, the children were not to be deterred in their aim to join this national initiative to plant one tree for each of Ireland’s million school children.
Fortunately, the local Clontarf Hospital came to the rescue.
Children had noticed on their walks to school that the hedgerow bordering the hospital and the road had room for more trees as many of the existing rowan, elder and hawthorn trees had been damaged in recent storms.
So the team from Belgrove did a ‘Feet first Friday’ exercise, walking the 10 minutes to the hedgerow in need of a cure where they set to work planting native saplings, one per child.
Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Richard Bruton attended the launch.
“Planting trees absorbs carbon,” he said.
“It can play an important role tackling Climate Disruption in a real and meaningful way.
“I am delighted to join ‘Easy Treesie’ and Belgrove National Schools to plant 30 trees in Clontarf Hospital.”
The hospital’s chief executive Michelle Fanning organised tree-themed fruit snacks to thank the children and volunteer supporters when they had finished their planting party.
“We are delighted to welcome this initiative, which will be of lasting benefit to our hospital community and local neighbours,” said Ms Fanning.
“Research shows that patients who look out on a green landscape experience a faster recovery and this is no surprise.
“The new trees will help screen the hospital from traffic noise and fumes on the busy road as well as giving extra privacy to the patients in this recently upgraded facility.
“They will also improve biodiversity in the area, sustaining a range of bird and insect species.”
The ‘Easy Treesie’ initiative is organised under the auspices of the charity, Crann, founded in 1986, with the aim of ‘Re-leafing’ Ireland.
Orla Farrell, Easy Treesie project leader, said: “This will be the 14,004th tree planted by the project since Minister Bruton planted a small oak on the week of our planting event in 2017.
“Trees have planted stretching from Enniskillen’s Rotary Forest to Cork’s Harper’s Island Wetland Centre and from Robswalls Park, Malahide to Ransboro, Sligo,” said Ms Farrell.
“Schools such as Gaelscoil Bhaile Munna have already planted a tree for every pupil in their school as part of the target of planting one million trees – one for each schoolchild in Ireland.”