Green-fingered youngsters from Great Bowden dig in for the environment

It was mud, sweat and cheers as youngsters from Great Bowden planted two trees in the village park.

Along with Sarah Bishop, executive headteacher at Great Bowden Academy, six pupils planted the oaks which, along with their peers, they will continue to care for as they flourish.

The project is part of Great Bowden’s Hursley Park ‘Adopt a Tree’ scheme which aims to plant 40 trees including oak, birch and rowan in the park land.

The green-fingered youngsters were the winners of a competition called ‘Why Trees are Important to me and my Environment’.

The school community will help care for the trees in their early life supported by a pupil-led ‘Eco Team’.

Mrs Bishop said: “We are delighted to be part of Great Bowden’s Hursley Park ‘Adopt a Tree’ scheme. The benefits of trees and woods on our environment are huge.

Despite the very cold and muddy conditions, the planting went really well. We look forward to caring for our trees and watching them flourish and prosper over the many years to come.”

The scheme is in conjunction with the Woodland Trust and The Tree Council and is part of a wider initiative known as the ‘Queen’s Green Canopy’ which was created to mark the late Queen’s jubilee celebration last year.

Great Bowden Academy’s two Oak trees form the start of the ‘Oak Avenue’, which aims to create a lasting tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and her service to her country and people.

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