Children planting trees to address climate change

School children have planted hundreds of trees, hedges and shrubs, as part of a Trees for Cities' project, to promote nature recovery and building resilience against the effects of climate change.

Victoria Primary School in Keighley is one of six schools and two community sites in Bradford receiving 2,356 trees to create a natural outdoor area where pupils can learn about biodiversity.

Pupil Fizaan, 11, said: "Some animals are being extinct and it's really important that we try to keep them alive."

Rachel Palfray from Natural England, which funds the project, said they wanted to "boost nature across Bradford and across Keighley" to give children more access to nature.

The Trees for Cities charity works to improve lives by planting trees in cities by revitalising forgotten spaces.

Mel Frances from the charity said: "This is one of our big school greening projects called Trees for Schools.

"We're just supporting the school with their outdoor learning curriculum by enhancing the nature on their own grounds and hopefully also increase biodiversity around the school as well."

Jane Dark, executive head teacher, said part of their curriculum is a focus on the climate and the importance of trees and nature.

The school wants to create a natural forest school area with seating and a fire pit with canopy where children can increase their knowledge on habitats but added that funding can be a "challenge for us".

Isa, 10, said: "We've been making some hedgerows, getting some logs and sticks to make for the animals so they can live in there.

"It is a lot better for the town to be green."

Fizaan added that both of them had named the Silver Birch tree that they planted, Ronaldo, and that other children have named theirs Bob, Elizabeth and Tom.

Luke, 11, said: "It's really fun planting big trees and Holly trees too".

Luke's mum Zoe said the children had a lot of fun digging and added that she was surprised her daughter Ellie took part because "normally she doesn't get her hands dirty".

Seven-year-old Abdul-Hadi said he and his mum planted a Holly tree "for animals to live" and added he will plant more trees in the future.

Since 2022, the project has brought communities together to plant over 60,000 trees in Bradford to raise awareness of the wide-ranging benefits that trees provide, and the importance of protecting them.

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