Primary Schools in Taunton Deane are being offered the chance to plant free trees with help from the Woodland Trust.

Schools across Taunton Deane are being offered the chance to connect with nature and improve their local area by planting trees – for free.

Children can look forward to planting a copse (small group of trees) or hedge, which can provide a wild harvest, or a burst of year round colour.

Over the next four years, Defra is supporting The Woodland Trust to offer an additional 400,000 British native trees to up to 7000 state funded primary schools in England.

As well as free tree packs, for eligible schools, there’s help with finding somewhere else to plant if there isn’t room in school grounds; protection to help the trees grow; and on‐line curriculum‐linked resources to support teachers’ lesson plans.

Rebecca Pow, MP for Taunton Deane, said: “This great opportunity will help schools improve their local environment and enable children to learn about nature. Trees bring enormous benefits. Green spaces provide important recreational areas for communities to enjoy, and woods and trees bring benefits for both our physical health and our mental and emotional wellbeing. Yet, we are one of the least wooded countries in Europe and trees and woods continue to disappear from our landscapes.”

Beccy Speight, Chief Executive of The Woodland Trust said: “It’s vitally important children get the chance to plant a tree. We know from our research it’s a memory they'll treasure for years to come, and often starts their relationship off with the natural world and all the benefits that brings.

“This scheme offers schools which have found it hard in the past, a new way to plant trees, and bring an oasis of green into their community.”

Apply for a free tree pack by visiting the Woodland Trust website, www.woodlandtrust.org.uk or search ‘School tree packs’ on‐line.

The closing date for applications is September 9th 2016 for tree delivery in November.