Eight Kilkenny schools back bid to plant a million trees!

School children from eight Kilkenny national schools took part in a nationwide campaign this month to plant a million trees to combat climate change.

The Kilkenny schools joined over 300 schools from across Ireland to take part in development charity Self Help Africa’s ‘One Million Trees’ campaign.

Speeding driver stopped by gardaí in Kilkenny

The campaign involves students 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.

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.

Trees were planted in Kilkenny at St. Brendan's N.S, Ballyfoyle, Lisdowney NS, Ballyragget, Graignamanagh BNS, Graignamanagh, St John of God Owning National School, Owning, Gowran National School, Gowran, Marymount N.S. The Rower, Thomastown, Johnswell NS, Johnswell, and Presentation NS, Castlecomer, to coincide with National Tree Week.  

Many of the schools involved also arranged collections and donations to Self Help Africa’s campaign, which aims to plant one million trees in Africa and 100,000 native trees in Ireland each year, to support communities affected by climate change.

Planting trees also helps offset the effects of harmful greenhouse gases, and highlights the importance and value of tree planting as a means of combatting global warming.

Gardaí issue appeal to find teenager missing for two weeks - Kilkenny Live

Sean McMahon, who is coordinating the schools campaign for Self Help Africa, stated that 'children are extremely passionate about the environment'.

"They’re alarmed by the stories that they read and hear about global warming, and want change," he said.

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