Today, October 1st is National Tree Day and to celebrate Green-Schools are encouraging schools to get involved in various initiatives from planting trees to learning about their important role in our ecosystem.

Forests and woodlands host rich habitats for most of the biodiversity on our planet and in terms of climate change mitigation they pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and aid the cooling of the Earth. Forests around the Globe differ immensely, each contributing as supporting systems to climate, pollination, species diversity, water and soil quality. So needless to say, tree cover in our towns, cities and in our rural areas is very important to enhance and preserve. There is no better way to appreciate National Tree Day in Ireland than getting outdoors and spending some time in a native woodland.

What can I do to plant more trees?

Great news! The Tree Council of Ireland are giving out a free Scots Pine tree for Tetrapack Tree day which takes place, today on October 1st. The Scots Pine is a coniferous tree with cones that provide pine seeds which are particularly favoured by Red Squirrels. Bees also visit it to collect propolis which they use as a sealant in their hives. This could be part of your flag raising celebrations or a Green Schools action day to enhance the schools biodiversity. To click on the pledge and order a free tree please go to www.treeday.ie