Every year, healthy young trees are marked for removal because they are in the way of a building, a road or a landscaping plan. Most are simply discarded. At the same time, many schools have bare compounds with little shade and few trees. The Schools Greening Program connects the two.
How the program works
We rescue and rehabilitate trees that were marked for disposal, nurse them back to health, and redistribute them to schools for planting and environmental education. Pupils and teachers take part in the planting and in looking after the trees afterwards, so the trees become part of school life rather than a one-off gift.
Objectives
- Reduce environmental waste by collecting and rehabilitating trees that would otherwise be discarded.
- Increase tree cover and improve green spaces within learning institutions.
- Promote environmental education by involving students and teachers in tree planting and maintenance.
- Build partnerships with organisations, institutions and individuals willing to donate trees for conservation purposes.
- Nurture a culture of sustainability and environmental stewardship among young learners.
Why schools?
A tree planted in a school compound is seen by hundreds of children every day, for years. It gives shade for outdoor lessons, cools the surroundings, and offers a living example for science and geography classes. Children who plant and care for a tree are far more likely to protect trees as adults, and they take the lesson home to their families.
Take part
If you are a school that would like trees, a developer or institution with trees that could be rescued rather than discarded, or a donor who would like to sponsor planting, please get in touch. You can also support the program directly with a donation.
