Wiltshire Schoolchildren Growing Interest in Longleat's oak trees

Tuesday, 1 October 2024 05:55

Youngsters at two village schools in Wiltshire are discovering how a tiny acorn planted today will be a sapling in just a few years and an oak tree within decades.

Caramantha Wellstead, head of education at Longleat in Wiltshire, along with Jim McConkie, head forester, are leading a project to encourage learning about the importance of trees in the ecosystem.

Reception children from Horningsham and Crockerton Primary Schools picked their acorns this week and will return when they are in year six with the saplings grown during their school life.

Caramantha said: “The acorn planting project aims to increase children’s knowledge of how trees grow and their understanding of the importance of trees for people, wildlife and the environment. It also raises awareness of the forestry roles and jobs in that sector.

“The children pick the acorns in the first month of their first term, helped by the older year six children, and the saplings are planted and grown at school. The children return when they are 11 to plant them in a designated area on the estate supporting our work to create habitats for future generations.

“The area chosen for this is an area which is accessible for people to visit. Each child is given a certificate with the location of the planted saplings so as they grow older they can return and visit with their families and friends.

“This is a fun way of enabling children to contribute in a positive way to the future of the planet as well as learning about the many different elements of growing trees from how to plant them to what might live within the trees.”

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