Matthew Moss High School in Rochdale have been very busy planting in their trees this winter and already have plans in place to create a ‘green corridor’ along the banks of the River Spodden. To find our more …

We are building a native tree nursery and a seed bank in the Ecuadorian cloud forest in order to reforest and create new habitats for wildlife.  The seed bank will conserve seeds from native tree species which are today disappearing quickly. Some hardwood trees that are endangered will be planted and reforested.  The cloud forest is degraded and burnt down for grazing every year – native trees are becoming rarer and harder to obtain easily.  The Cloud forest is at the frontier of environmental action, as it has the world’s most diverse biodiversity.

We are aiming to raise £550 – this will give us a great start with seed collection, materials, and saplings to run the tree nursery for a one year period. The community will maintain it and involve their local school – children will learn about the cloudforest and participate in the restoration process, leaving their own legacy in the landscape.

We are aiming to raise £550 – this will cover the costs for native seedlings, materials and maintenance of the tree nursery (per year) – please donate to the Earth Restoration Service Charity (Registered charity number 1118951) if this resonates with you:

Easy donation online:

http://www.justgiving.com/The-Life-Cairn-Tree-Nursery

Bank transfer:

Earth Restoration Service

Barclays Bank
27 Soho Square
London
W1D 3QR

Branch no. 20-78-98
A/C no. 20521957

Please do a reference for “ecuador cloudforest”

All the £550 will be transferred to Ecuador – pictures of the tree nursery will go up under here.

Iford & Kingston School – Interviewing Norman Baker MP for Lewes from andreas Kornevall on Vimeo.

Norman Baker had to answer questions about trees in the community and why they matter.  We planted up 325 native trees in Iford and Kingston with the children, teachers and parents.

Andreas Kornevall talks about the School Tree Nursery Programme from andreas Kornevall on Vimeo.

Andreas Kornevall is the Director of Operations for the Earth Restoration Service  and the co-founder of WorkingAbroad – here he talks about the inspirational School Tree Nursery Programme he recently set up.

The programme aims to have 1,000 schools actively restoring their local communities in the UK and (literary) branching out world-wide.

They are a Specialist School for Communication and Interaction, catering for pupils aged between two to nineteen who have profound, severe or moderate learning difficulties.

They planted 1,000 trees in total resulting in brilliant work combining, education, engagement with the community, and new woodlands.

How to care for a native tree nursery in your school from andreas Kornevall on Vimeo.

General information on how to care for your native tree nursery in your school, explained by Polly Wise from ERS (also a Thomas A Becket Middle School Learning Support Assistant and Eco-School’s Coordinator).

We are delighted to announce a partnership with WWF.  ERS will be responsible for setting up tree nurseries in 50 Schools and helping with out-plantings across the UK.

“In 2011, WWF celebrates its 50th anniversary . It’s a time to look back but also forwards. So we’re delighted to be working with Earth Restoration Service to help 50 schools set up their own special WWF 50th Anniversary School Tree Nursery project – a project that will have a lasting legacy for the school and community, as well as huge benefits for the children taking part”

Find out more and register to take part

WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. Young people are key to that mission. We want to share our love of the natural world with them. We also want to help them build the knowledge, skills and values that will help them be caring and wise environmental citizens – now and in the future. WWF UK

By Polly Wise – Thomas A Becket Middle School

On a sunny October day our 200 Year 4 pupils took part in the planting of our Flutter Flower meadow which now surrounds our School Tree Nursery.

Ree, the flutter flower co-ordinator arrived first, her van laden with 200 pots of home grown native wildflowers and grasses along with containers of dried flower heads; the ingredients for our Flutter Flower Meadow.

Next to arrive were our 3 volunteers from a local company who helped us throughout the day, as the saying goes ‘many hands make light work’. Barbara, a community member of our Eco-Action Team, also joined us for the morning –on her birthday.

Before the classes came outside they had listened to the story of ‘Belinda, Lady of the Flowers’ so that they understood the importance of their work. This was reinforced by a talk by Ree before they were let free to dig their holes and plant their flowers and grasses. The children were really fascinated by the seeds as normally they plant seeds from packets so to be able to sprinkle them straight from the dried flower head was a new experience for most.

We have left a winding pathway through the meadow area which will be kept mown as the meadow grows upwards. The children will be able to wander through the meadow in time and will study the flowers and insects that live within it during their Summer term theme of ‘Our Wonderful World’.

As a school we are all very much looking forward to watching the area transform from a normal grassy area into a very special habitat for butterflies and other little creatures.