Doncaster school is given 200 native trees to plant on its grounds

++ The Woodland Trust has given Astrea Academy Woodfields a range of trees which are native to England ++

++ The school’s gardening club has started planting the trees, as National Tree Week gets underway ++

Astrea Academy Woodfields in Doncaster, part of Astrea Academy Trust, has received approximately 200 saplings, a generous gift from the Woodland Trust, to plant out in its extensive grounds.

In order to benefit the environment and to provide shelter, shade and habitats for local wildlife, Woodfields will plant the trees in various locations on the school’s large site, including on a disused field.

The trees are a mix of holly, hawthorn, beech and oak and are all native species to England.

Students who attend the academy’s Gardening Club are now starting the noble task of planting out the new trees.

The students’ green-fingered efforts come as the UK celebrates National Tree Week, which runs from 23rd to November to 1st December, bringing together the conservation sector, volunteers and tree-lovers to mark the start of the annual tree planting season and encouraging them to plant thousands of trees and hedgerows.

The Woodfields student gardeners have already shown themselves more than capable of rising to the challenge of improving the school’s site and have already substantially re-developed a forgotten and neglected area of the school.

Last year, thanks to a £10,000 grant from the Royal Horticultural Society which paid for the help of local professional gardeners Bradley and James Garden Design, the Woodfields gardeners cleared an old, overgrown vegetable patch with a filled-in pond.

The area is now clear and landscaped, with a wildlife pond and decorative stones and plants, ready for ongoing maintenance; the school plans on using a top-up RHS grant of £2,000 to buy some plants for the pond and vegetable patch.

Science teacher Ed Byran, who runs the Gardening Club at Astrea Academy Woodfields, said: “Members of our Gardening Club had great fun planting out the first eight trees by our vegetable patch and we plan on planting out some more around the school grounds.

“The rest of the trees will be planted on a large field that we have next to the academy and will certainly keep us busy over the coming weeks!”

Principal of Astrea Academy Woodfields, David Scales, said: “Ed and the Gardening Club members have done a fine job planting out the first few saplings and they have their work cut out, with around 192 to go!

“We are very proud of their hard work and dedication and appreciate all they have done to improve our school site.

“We would like to thank the Woodland Trust and RHS for their support of Woodfields, as we work to help protect the environment and improve natural habitats on our school land.”