Pupils from Devon schools are helping to grow the future of the nation’s forests by planting new trees at Forestry England’s Haldon Forest Park.
Pupils from Doddiscombsleigh Primary School and Southbrook School, in Exeter, visited the forest in March to plant a wildlife screen at the edge of the forest car park. Enthusiastic students got stuck in with shovels, stakes, and tree guards, to plant 128 trees in only three hours!
The new trees are a mixture of cell grown cherry seedlings (supplied in containers with growing medium) and bare root oak seedlings (supplied bare with no growing medium). This provided a rare opportunity to learn about different tree growing and planting techniques, and look closely at the different parts of a tree. Pupils also relished the chance to learn about the forest minibeasts that they unearthed as they dug, with worms being a particular highlight.
Doddiscombsleigh Primary School teacher, Katie Jopson, said: “As a whole school, we had a wonderful time joining Lizzie and the team to plant trees at Haldon Forest Park. The children learnt so much about their local environment and how the forest provides for both animals and humans. They also picked up some great forestry skills which will be useful for our future forest school sessions. It was amazing to see them so engaged and inspired by the activity and they have all mentioned how excited they are to continue visiting Haldon with their families to watch their trees grow. This was a fantastic opportunity and one that has left us with lots of happy memories!”
Joe McEvoy, Outdoor Education Lead Teacher at Southbrook School, said: “Our six students were met by enthusiastic and knowledgeable Forestry England staff and it was great for our students to gain a greater understanding of why woodlands are important and why they require maintaining. The students got stuck into the project with much gusto and managed to plant 77 trees in two hours! They’re already looking forward to seeing how the trees grow during their trips to Haldon Forest Park in the future.”
Forestry England learning ranger, Lizzie Jackson, said: “It’s so rewarding to see children getting hands-on in the outdoors. All the pupils threw themselves into their task and did a great job of working together to get the young trees safely into the ground. We didn’t expect them to plant so many so quickly! These experiences are essential for building nature connection that will support children’s wellbeing throughout their lives, so I hope they will come to visit their special trees with their families.”
Haldon Forest Park is a working forest, producing sustainably grown timber for local markets. Planting new trees is an essential part of the forest’s long-term management to provide diverse wildlife habitats, beautiful spaces for people to enjoy, and timber products for the future. The new trees can be found at the edge of the Haldon Forest Park car park where visitors will see them grow and create a wildlife screen over the coming years.
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