Planting for the Future

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Henry Nicholas supported the planting of 100 climate-resilient trees in a local school in 2023-2024

Project Overview

This report is about the Trees for Schools project where climate resilient trees have been planted in a local primary school thanks to support from Henry Nicholas. Henry Nicholas expanded their support of local wildlife and the community, following their contribution to wildflower restoration in Bristol in 2022-23. See the other projects they have supported here.

Every tree planting workshop with the Trees for Schools programme is bespoke and tailored to the needs of the school. We take into account the age of the children and the existing availability of green space for new trees. A pre-planting consultation with the school helps us to understand which species will best suit their plans for the site, map out the planting and plan how the trees will best be used as a resource for the school and community.

Through this project, young people were taught about the importance of trees to local wildlife and why we need to plant them to help protect our planet. The children learnt how to plant trees and then helped plant them with our Education Officer. As well as educating children about climate change and wildlife, this project helped create green learning spaces in schools and benefited children’s health and wellbeing by getting them outside and learning in a new environment.

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Project Statistics

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100

Trees Planted
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100

Approx. Children Engaged
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237

Children on School Roll
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6.13%

County Woodland Cover

Planting for the Next Generation

Located in Bristol, the Blaise Primary and Nursery School teaches children from ages 3-11 with over 400 pupils. Approximately 1 in 3 of the students are eligible for free school meals and all students are given an environment to thrive and develop in.

100 trees were planted on school in March 2024 to create a new hedge to screen off their new school allotment from sporting activities and protect it from the occasional flying football. A mix of native species was chosen to provide different leaf shapes, blossom, berries, and seeds as to create a more varied environment for local wildlife, as well as boosting interest with school children.

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Tim Kaye

Meet Our Education Officer

Tim Kaye

Tim is an ecologist with 20 + years experience in Environmental Education. He has a particular interest in woodland fungi and recently discovered a rare slug while working on a Teaching Trees visit.

Tree Species Planted:

100 trees planted in Bristol

Tree Leaf
10 Trees Planted

Rowan: Sorbus Aucuparia

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Rowan: Sorbus Aucuparia

Also known as the mountain ash, rowan trees grow well at high altitudes and are commonly found in the Scottish Highlands, as well as on streets and in gardens across the UK. Many birds eat their scarlet berries in the autumn, then disperse the seeds. Rowan used to be planted next to homes to ward off the threat of witches, as red was once believed to guard against evil.

Tree Leaf
10 Trees Planted

Field Maple: Acer Campestre

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Field Maple: Acer Campestre

This species is the UK’s only native maple and is often grown as an ornamental tree in large gardens and parks, as well as in woods and hedgerows. Its wood is white, hard and strong, and is popular for making furniture, flooring and musical instruments, especially harps. Field maple flowers are hermaphrodite, meaning each flower contains both male and female reproductive parts.

Tree Leaf
10 Trees Planted

Silver Birch: Betula Pendula

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Silver Birch: Betula Pendula

The silver birch is an elegant, majestic-looking tree which can survive in a range of climates, making it a very popular choice for gardeners. It attracts hundreds of insect species, and woodpeckers like to nest in its rough, tough, silver-white trunk. There is a lot of mythology attached to the silver birch, which is said to symbolise purity, new beginnings and protection. Once upon a time, on Midsummer’s Eve, silver birch boughs were hung across the doors of houses to bring good luck to their residents.

Tree Leaf
10 Trees Planted

Aspen: Populus Tremula

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Aspen: Populus Tremula

This striking tree, also known as the “quaking aspen” has shimmering foliage and can grow to 25m tall. The Celts believed that when aspen leaves fluttered in the wind, the tree was communicating with spirits between this world and the next. Since the European Beaver was reintroduced into Scotland after centuries of extinction, aspen has been one of its favourite foods.

Tree Leaf
10 Trees Planted

Bird Cherry: Prunus Padus

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Bird Cherry: Prunus Padus

Bird Cherry grows easily in the British climate and is often used in urban green landscaping. They have spikes of beautiful white flowers in the spring that can be a valuable nectar source for pollinating insects such as butterflies and bees. The bitter, dark black cherries are a favourite food for birds and small mammals in the summer months.

Tree Leaf
10 Trees Planted

Wild Cherry: Prunus Avium

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Wild Cherry: Prunus Avium

Stunning white cherry blossoms burst forth in April, heralding the arrival of spring and bringing joy to parks and gardens. Mature cherry trees can live for up to 60 years, and provide a great source of food for birds, bees, insects and small animals like badgers and mice. Our ancestors would boil wild cherries and make them into a syrup to treat a range of ailments including coughs and anaemia.

Tree Leaf
10 Trees Planted

Crab Apple: Malus Sylvestris

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Crab Apple: Malus Sylvestris

Crab apple trees grow throughout Europe and can live for up to a century, reaching a height of around 10m. This tree is traditionally associated with love and marriage, and it is said that if you say the name of your lover while throwing crab apple pips into a fire, then your love is true if the seeds explode! Crab apples can be made into jelly, roasted and added to drinks, or served as an accompaniment to meat.

Tree Leaf
5 Trees Planted

Hawthorn: Crataegus Monogyna

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Hawthorn: Crataegus Monogyna

Hawthorn is very much associated with the month of May, and the appearance of its bright, white flowers heralds the change from spring to summer. It is prolific in hedgerows, scrub and woodland throughout the UK and Ireland, and a single tree can grow as tall as 10m. In pagan times, hawthorn was a symbol of marriage and fertility, but in the Middle Ages, it was never brought into homes, as people believed it was a harbinger of illness and death.

Tree Leaf
10 Trees Planted

Elder : Sambucus Nigra

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Elder : Sambucus Nigra

Elder trees can be found growing all over the UK, often near rabbit warrens and the homes of other woodland creatures who spread the seeds through their droppings. Our ancestors in the Middle Ages believed that planting elder trees near their houses would ward off the Devil, and elder leaves were thrown into graves at funerals to protect the dead from evil spirits. Although poisonous when raw, elderberries can be cooked and made into syrup or jam, while elderflowers make the perfect refreshing summer cordial.

Tree Leaf
5 Trees Planted

Guelder Rose: Viburnum Opulus

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Guelder Rose: Viburnum Opulus

If you spot this deciduous shrub when you’re out and about, it probably means you’re passing through an ancient habitat. The guelder rose is one of the national symbols of Ukraine, where it is known as “kalyna” and represents fertility, youth and beauty. Guelder rose berries are an important source of food for birds, while hoverflies enjoy this plant’s flowers.

Tree Leaf
10 Trees Planted

Dogwood: Cornus Alba

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Dogwood: Cornus Alba

Dogwood thrives on the edges of damp woodlands and in hedgerows, so Britain’s wet climate really isn’t a problem for this fast-growing shrub. Mature dogwood trees can grow as high as 10m, with small blue-black fruits and little white flowers. It is one of the hardest woods there is, and was used to make crucifixes including - it is said - that of Jesus.

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