Grace Lee, Standards Officer, City of Trees; Paul Dennett, Salford City Mayor, Susan Halsall, Director of Education with Character, Salford City Academy
City of Trees, the Community Forest for Greater Manchester, has been working with Salford City Academy in Eccles to plant over 600 trees on the school grounds.
602 whips were planted as part of a programme of works with the school’s eco and intervention group over a seven-week period. As well as learning how to plant trees, the pupils were educated on topics such as woodland design, and proper tool handling.
In addition to the woodland creation, five fruit trees and 16 standard trees have been planted by the City of Trees in-house contract team. The 16 semi mature standard trees were funded by Defra’s Northern Forest programme.
The new woodland forms part of Salford City Council’s pledge to support the planting of 8,000 trees by 2028, demonstrating their commitment to tackling climate change.
Working with City of Trees, the council has already supported the planting of 1,654 trees during this current planting season, which runs from September to March.
The council is also working with developers in the planning process to plant new trees as part of new developments, and working with City of Trees to identify planting sites for street trees and other new woodland areas.
Grace Lee, Standards Officer at City of Trees, said “It was a real pleasure working with the pupils at Salford City Academy. We hope some of them left feeling inspired to become the next generation of Urban Foresters.
“Greening school grounds is an important part of our work, trees improve student’s health and wellbeing, create habitats for wildlife and help to combat climate change. We encourage any schools in Salford to get in touch to learn more about woodland creation opportunities on their land”
City Mayor Paul Dennett said “I’m delighted to see the new woodland which will make a huge and lasting impact to staff and pupils at the school. It’s great to see the school doing their bit to respond to climate change. This is one of the council’s priorities and we’re investing in the city’s vital green spaces to support biodiversity. Our pledge to plant 8,000 new trees in Salford by 2028 is picking up pace, with 1,654 trees planted so far.”
Susan Halsall, Director of Education with Character at Salford City Academy said “Our pupils have really enjoyed this experience. They have been excellent ambassadors for the school, with representatives from all year groups demonstrating their commitment to the environment, planting a legacy for the future.”
