TreeAction projects for More Sussex Schools

Tree Action is a not-for-profit organisation in Sussex set up to deliver tree planting projects for schools and organising tree planting and maintenance events for its students. We aim to assist schools so that their students can become part of tackling climate change whilst connecting them with nature. We believe this connection improves their mental well being and gives them a sense of responsibility for a part of our natural world.

Hello, 

I used to work full time in the events business. A couple of years ago I had a few months' experience working in a secondary school with children with special education needs. It helped me to understand the types of the mental challenges some young people face today, including my own teenage son's challenges with OCD. I'm sure some of these challenges children face have sometimes been made worse by poverty and by Covid-19.  I see the opportunity to connect children with nature as a means to help them deal with stress, whilst simultaneously giving them the opportunity to be part of the climate solution through tree planting and outdoor biodiversity projects. These can be either at school, or in nearby parks close to that school, as part of their school day. They may not get that opportunity with their families.

I've also found that many schools don't have the time or resources to organise such projects or events. I also saw that tree planting and biodiversity projects are often international or distant, not local, and wanted to find ways that families and communities could connect more with projects on a local level, hence the focus on Sussex where I am based.   

I also found many schools have been able to obtain trees for free, but there hasn't been the support to help those trees to thrive, or support for the students to help them engage in looking after them.

Who We Are

TreeAction currently has five regular part-time volunteers handling all admin and planning including a volunteer forest school team leader, an arborist, a teacher, and a part-time marketing officer, and myself as a part-time event planner, co-ordinator, fundraiser and schools liaison. We also have numerous volunteers in the Sussex area who step forward often with their families to get involved in tree planting, weed clearing or watering events.On top of that we get support and guidance from the local council's environmental team.

What We've Done So Far

We started by planting over 100 trees in the Shoreham by Sea and Southwick areas of West Sussex with the help of local volunteers. We then turned our attention to schools. We've now worked with 4 schools, two secondary academies and two primary schools, helping them to plan and co-ordinate tree planting projects, and in one case we worked with Warden Park Academy in Cuckfield through the lockdown period to successfully crowdfund and plan for their project which involves planting 57 trees and developing a community garden at the rear of the school. 

"This is a brilliant project not only for the students at Warden Park but for the environment too." - E. Rudden, supporter.

Photos Above: Students of Warden Park Academy potting some self seeded oaks to raise funds for more trees. Below: Year 6 Students of Buckingham Park Primary School planting saplings at their local park. Different classes revisit the trees each month to water them, remove any weeds and add mulch to suppress weeds and help the trees establish. 

In addition we are co-ordinating tree maintenance events for Year 6 students to return to trees they've planted in their local park, something we have planned and co-ordinated with permission from the local authority, Adur and Worthing Council.

The Assistant Head at Buckingham Park Primary School said in a statement to the local press after a tree planting event that some of the students had never planted anything in their lives, and many of them were raving about their experience afterwards.

We then started to deliver two further projects on the grounds of Buckingham Park Primary school in Shoreham by Sea December 2021 where we planted 22 trees including Plums, Silver Birches, an Indian Bean trees, a Liquid amber and five pear trees, with a further 38 trees being planted there by us this year, and at Eastbrook Primary Academy where all the students got involved in planting Lime Trees, Silver Birches and Oak trees. We are now also working with Eastbrook on a sustainable watering solution so the school doesnt have to pay for watering the trees, as well as paying for their wish list of tools including watering cans for the students to water their trees with.

Top: Students from Eastbrook Primary Academy planting Silver Birch trees on their school grounds. Centre: Students from Buckingham Park Primary digging up the school ground in preparation for planting pear trees. We have provided a blue print after care maintenance plan for both schools which has been adopted. Bottom: Map showing locations for all trees in the plan for Buckingham Park Primary School which includes Hawthorn, Cherry, Hazel, Rowan and Pear, an Indian bean tree, liquid amber and a walnut tree. The plan was divised by Liam Lord a Park Ranger. 35 of the 60 trees have so far been planted with the remainder due to be planted next season. Students are watering, weeding and mulching them on a monthly basis and the school tell us they are loving the experience.

Every class at both schools is now involved in watering, weeding and caring for their trees in line with the maintenance plan we provided. Each class has a tree or group of trees that the school have told them they are responsible for from the time they join the school, to the time they will leave. The schools tell us the students are so excited when its their turn to get outdoors to look after their trees! 

What We Want To Do Now

We're want to support more schools in Sussex planning and paying for tree planting and maintenance projects on their grounds like we have done so far, as well as plan events for young people to get involved in tree planting and maintenance events in the region on a regular basis including those schools without the space to plant trees. 

As a not for profit organisation with limited funds, we now need to raise money to help pay for a trust and grants fundraiser who can work with us part-time to raise even more to help us scale, create other projects and employ a team. This will also help us pay for contractors to do ad hoc work on school projects when we cannot find people who can offer their time for free. The funds raised are intended to help us to achieve this as well as fund one new school tree project.

This fundraising campaign will enable us to grow and support more schools in Sussex with tree planting projects. One day we'd like to do this nationally.

40% of the funds we raise in this campaign will go towards paying for one new school project in Sussex from planning stage through to purchase and planting of established fruit and woodland trees .

Community Projects

In addition to the school projects, we are organising community projects in public spaces in Sussex as one day events that involve watering, planting and tending of trees for people of all ages, working with the local authorities. People love these events. They are an opportunity to connect with nature on a weekend with family whilst doing something positive to support their local environment, and often learn something new. 

Above: Volunteers at a tree watering event at Sheepcombe Hanger near the Cissbury Ring, W.Sussex in April 2021.

We hope you can support us ! We  have some great rewards on offer, please take a look!