Schools in Tullamore, Clara and Birr back tree-planting campaign

School children from three Offaly national schools took part in a nationwide campaign this month to plant a million trees in order to help combat climate change.

The Offaly schools joined over 300 schools from across Ireland in taking part in development charity Self Help Africa's 'One Million Trees' campaign – planting trees in their local school grounds while supporting a wider initiative to plant trees in Africa and highlight the impact that climate change is having on poor and vulnerable communities on the African continent.

Trees were planted in Offaly at Ballinagar NS, Tullamore; Scoil Phroinsiais Naofa, Clara; and Carrig NS, Birr, to coincide with National Tree Week.

The local schools tree planting initiative is supported by the Irish National School Teachers Association (INTO), who provided native Irish tree seedlings for distribution to classrooms across the country to support the charity initiative.

Many of the schools involved also arranged collections and donations to Self Help Africa's campaign.

The initiative aims to plant One Million Trees in Africa and 100,000 native trees in Ireland each year, to support communities affected by climate change, offset the effects of harmful greenhouse gases, and also highlight the importance and value of tree planting as a means of combatting global warming.

"Children are extremely passionate about the environment. They’re alarmed by the stories that they read and hear about global warming, and want change," said Sean McMahon, who is coordinating the schools campaign for Self Help Africa.

More information is available about Self Help Africa’s schools tree planting initiative is available here.