A DAMSON tree received special attention from children at Shinfield St Mary’s Junior School.
It was the 5,000th tree to have been planted by them, and they celebrated their considerable achievement with the help of Wokingham Borough mayor, Cllr Beth Rowland.
The tree, one of several fruit trees donated by local charity Freely Fruity, was planted with the help of the school’s eco team.
As well as helping to install the new sapling, Cllr Rowland also officially opened the school’s new outdoor classroom.
Shinfield St Mary’s Junior is one of the first community tree nurseries in the country to be based within a school.
Children there have been collecting, sorting, germinating and then potting on tree seeds ready for planting next year.
The hope is that other schools and community groups take the seedlings to plant in their own settings.
Over the past five years, every child at Shinfield has helped to plant copses and hedgerows, with trees donated to the school by The Tree Council and The Woodland Trust.
The school currently boasts one of the largest examples of a Miyawaki forest in the country – a technique to create dense forests with native plants – by planting 2,000 trees together on a hill.
Cllr Rowland said: “It was great to be invited along to Shinfield to plant a tree and to see the wonderful work the children have been doing.
“It’s really important that children learn why trees are so important to us; they clean our air, help feed us and provide shade in the summer.
“Spending time under trees, in forests outside, and even with the saplings, is really good for mental wellbeing”.
Head of ecology Matt Knight said: “It’s been a fantastic journey planting so many trees with the children.
“We’re looking forward to continuing to grow more for other schools and community groups to plant.
“We have been really fortunate that charities like The Tree Council and The Woodland Trust have provided us with so many saplings and shared their expertise.
“We’ve also built strong links with Wokingham Borough Council, who supplied mulch and tree guards for our young trees.”
For more information about the school, visit: www.shinfield-st-marys-junior.co.uk
