Kildare schools branch out to help Africa in new tree-planting initiative

Primary school children in Kildare are being urged to sign up to support a nationwide campaign that’s aiming to plant tens of thousands of trees in a single day, to combat climate change.

The campaign is part of development organisation Self Help Africa’s (SHA) One Million Trees campaign, which is planting a million trees in Africa and 100,000 new native trees in Ireland, each year.

All schools that support the initiative will receive a native Irish tree sapling per classroom, and get the chance to support communities across sub-Saharan Africa.

SHA's campaign is being backed by the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO), and by sports stars from the Gaelic Players Association, as well as food giant Glenisk. 

INTO president Joe McKeown said about the campaign: "We will be distributing tree seedlings to schools around the country that sign up, and also providing teaching resources that have been developed and can be used by teachers, that highlight the value and importance of trees in combatting climate change."

Another INTO President, Mary Magner, who also serves as a campaign ambassador, also commented on the ambitious venture: "Children are extremely passionate about the environment: they’re alarmed by the stories that they read and hear about global warming, and want change."

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"Young people are already actively engaged with initiatives like Green Schools, they are frequently the champions of waste reduction and recycling in the home, and they understand how important trees are to removing damaging greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. she added.

A spokesperson for SHA further explained the importance of such an initiative: "In Africa, communities that are least responsible for global warming are feeling some of its worst effects."

"Trees provide not alone remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, they also affect micro-climates and rainfall patterns in hot, dry regions of the tropics; they also provide a source of food, income, shade and shelter for rural poor African families."

The spokesperson also confirmed that native Irish trees such as birch, hazel, alder and oak are being planted on behalf of SHA by local NGO partners, Trees on the Land.

SHA will distribute tree seedlings and planting materials to hundreds of communities across 15 countries as a part of the initiative.

It is aiming to plant 25,000 on December 3, and an additional 75,000 trees in Africa to support the schools initiative, when planting seasons start in the Horn of Africa and West Africa, in Spring 2022.

Age appropriate lesson plans and other resources are also being provided to support primary teachers to carry out tree focussed activities in their classrooms on the same day.

SHA added that every €2 raised by class groups being sponsoring 10 new tree seedlings in Africa.

Further information about the One Million Trees campaign can be found by clicking here.

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