City schoolchildren do their bit to plant carbon-capturing North East Community Forest
Pupils at a Sunderland primary school have been helping drive forward a regional planting scheme which aims to capture 155,100 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, equivalent to the emissions from the energy needs of 30,000 homes in a year.
Dozens of youngsters from from St. Mary’s RC Primary School planted 100 trees around the school grounds on March 31, to coincide with the ‘Queen’s Green Canopy’.
The trees will grow to form a green boundary around the school, as well as establishing a small orchard and increasing its ‘Forest Classroom’ area.
They are part of the North East Community Forest (NECF), which is a regional tree planting scheme designed to increase canopy cover and carbon capture in the region.
Almost 80,000 trees have been planted in five months to help tackle the climate crisis, wildlife loss and bring people closer to nature.
A total of 62.16 hectares of land were covered by the NECF during the 2021/22 planting season – well over the initial target of 25ha. The 79,503 new trees, 16 hectares of open space and 3,215 linear metres of hedgerows will capture 19,282 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
It is part of the NECF’s long-term goal to increase canopy cover across Newcastle, Gateshead, North and South Tyneside, Sunderland and parts of County Durham by 2050.
When fully planted, the trees, woodlands and hedgerows are expected to capture 155,100 tonnes of carbon dioxide, equivalent to the emissions from the energy needs of 30,000 homes in a year.
To carry out their tree-planting, the children of St Mary’s were joined by special guests to mark the occasion: Deputy Lieutenant of Tyne & Wear John Mowbray OBE; Sunderland Mayor Alison Smith; Ross Weddle, chair of the NECF, and José-Luis Linares of the Forestry Commission.
The Mayor said: “It was a real pleasure attending the tree planting ceremony and seeing how enthusiastic the children were to roll up their sleeves and get involved.
“The tree and hedge planting at St Mary’s is one of 13 sites where planting is being undertaken in Sunderland this season, as we seek to replace damaged and diseased trees across the city, as part of the Government’s Local Authority Treescapes Fund, as well as planting more than 5,000 trees as part of the Trees for Climate fund.
“The mass planting will not only improve our tree cover and greenspaces, but it will also play an enormous part in the city’s goal to become carbon neutral by 2040 and to build the city’s resilience in the face of climate change.”
Martin Clephane, headteacher at St. Mary’s Primary School, said: “We are blessed to have lovely school grounds and an extensive forest school.
“The mature trees and abundant wildlife are part of school life and in fact, the environment is woven into our whole school curriculum.
“It is fitting, therefore, that St. Mary’s is taking part in the planting of these trees as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy project. The project is not only a fitting memorial to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, but a vital contribution to the protection of British trees and the local environment.”
Ross Weddle, chair of the North East Community Forest, added: “I’ve planted trees from Durness at the top of Scotland all the way down to the River Thames.
“This year I’m celebrating 50 years since I started tree planting, and this is the first time I’ve ever planted in Sunderland, so I’m incredibly proud to be here with the children from St. Mary’s for this special event.”
Sunderland City Council has supported a number of carbon-reducing projects over recent months as part of its Low Carbon Framework, which aims to see the city become carbon neutral by 2040.
