Forestry Commission - News - hillhead pupils tackle climate change

Pupils from Wick’s Hillhead Primary visited Rumster Forest last week, (Wed 25 June) to plant some trees and learn more about how forests help the environment.

The Primary Five children had a fantastic day out learning about forestry, enjoying a health walk through Rumster and helping to put up bird boxes.

Stephen Fraser, Forestry Commission Scotland in Dornoch, said:

“The walk in the woods was great fun and a great opportunity for us all to discover all kinds of amazing things.

“I was very impressed by how much they knew about global warming, carbon and the benefits of planting trees to help the environment.

“They were fascinated by the story of forestry and were amazed to find out about all the different kinds of birds and animals in the woods - how to spot them, what they eat and where they live."

The highlight of the visit came when the pupils rounded off their day by planting native broadleaved trees by the roadside.

Hillhead teacher, Lena Falconer, said:

"Visiting the forest really enthused the children. Caithness does not have a lot of trees so it was a novel experience for many of the pupils to actually be in a forest. Our school is an eco school and this visit has further helped the pupils in their understanding of how to look after our environment.

“We all had a great day out. The forest is a fantastic resource and Mr Fraser really did make it in to a huge outdoor classroom."

As a memento of their day they each took home a disk of wood from a felled tree.

Notes for Editors
1) Forestry Commission Scotland serves as the Scottish Government's forestry department. For more information log on to www.forestry.gov.uk/aboutfcs

Media Enquiries:
Paul Munro, Forestry Commissions Scotland, press office, tel: 0131 314 6507