Children urged to grow trees

Millions of children from every school in the United Kingdom have been challenged to "get growing" a million trees in what might be the UK's highest-profile forestry communications campaign ever mounted.

Each of 30,000 primary and secondary schools is to be given a packet of native tree seeds for cultivating and planting out. The initiative is being spearheaded by the News of The World newspaper and the Forestry Commission, and supported by the Royal Mail.

Government Ministers and leading sports and television personalities are backing the campaign to help raise children's understanding of the vital role of trees and forests in the environment and the world's climate.

The Forestry Commission is to provide ten million Scots pine, alder and silver birch seeds. Also in the pack will be a special schools version of its popular DVD about the role that trees and forests can play in tackling climate change.

The packs will be sent to schools with instructions for sowing and caring for the seeds and planting them out later in the year. The young trees can be planted out either in school grounds or in appropriate places nearby, such as public greenspaces, parks, churchyards or sites made available by other owners.

Children in late primary and early secondary years are the main target audience for the initiative, and the Education Ministers in all four countries are lending their support.