Charity

The Earth Restoration Service

For 2022 we are looking to reverse the environmental degradation caused by human activities collaborating with schools, community groups and others to address the challenges of regenerating the earth.

The Earth Restoration Service

The Earth Restoration Service

Earth Restoration Service

Our aim is to reverse the environmental degradation caused by human activities such as deforestation, pollution and land use techniques that cause soil erosion. We collaborate with schools, community groups, other charities, business, and government agencies to create a global alliance to address the challenges of regenerating the Earth.

Growing Trees in SchoolsOur Goal with The Christmas Forest

With your support we aim to plant 40 small tree nurseries in 40 schools.  Which will replenish the local communities with new and vibrant woodlands to benefit wildlife, and people. The cost is £14,000 to plant 40 small tree nurseries, with coordination, equipment and guidance: please help us to make this possible.

Why do we Plant Trees with Schools?

Since the 1930s, more than half of the UK's ancient woodland have been destroyed, and the country has been stated as being among the most nature-depleted countries in the world.

In the past 50 years, 60% of animal and plant species have declined. Many wildlife species are now endangered, with about a quarter of all UK mammals and nearly half of birds facing the risk of extinction.

The School Tree Nursery programme plays an important role in reforesting local communities, while teaching the next generations about sciences, ecology, the environment, climate change and the importance of the natural world.

Not only do we need more native trees in our communities, but we need the future generations to value nature and become its avid protectors.

Planting for the communityWhat is a School Tree Nursery?

A Tree Nursery is an area set up within school grounds, where up to 50 tree saplings of various native tree species are planted and raised. The trees will stay in the nursery, where they are looked after, until they are big enough to be moved and replanted outside the school in the local community.

The children actively participate in the planting of the trees and help look after them in the 2 years following, until they are out-planted in the community. The children can help decide where they finally will be planted and make them part of the grand event!

What are the Benefits?

The benefits are two-fold, as the programme is beneficial for the environment and children alike! The Tree Nursery is a practical programme for genuine wildlife aid by boosting our dwindling invertebrate populations, which support a wealth of other animal species higher up the food chain. For example, one oak tree harbours up to 400 insects! Also, the tree saplings are nurtured in the protective environment of the school until they are mature enough to be planted out in local degraded environments.

Until then, the tree nursery serves as an opportunity for children to learn practical skills, learn about the natural world and have a lot of fun.

What Happens with the Trees?

Once the trees are large enough, which usually will take about 2 years of looking after in the nursery, they are to be planted elsewhere in the community. We want to plant new woodlands and green urban areas in local communities around the UK.

TreeAid

Thanks to our customers, by 2022 we have helped to grow 258,443 trees in the drylands of Africa.

The Christmas Forest is proud to have supported Tree Aid between 2006 and 2020. For every real Christmas tree bought from us, we grew a tree in the drylands – the Sahel region – of Africa through TREE AID. This film gives a good summary of TREE AID’s work:

TREE AID works in partnership with communities in the drylands of Africa. Over 350 million people live in this part of Africa, many people live in extreme poverty and depend on subsistence agriculture for their livelihoods.

TREE AID supports people in these communities to grow and care for trees to improve their environment and to protect against climate change. Trees make an incredible difference – they improve soil quality for better harvests, reduce soil loss through wind or flooding, protect ecosystems and increase biodiversity. These trees can keep the environment fertile for generations to come, and help to create resilient, thriving communities.

In the short film above, Awa tells the story of how trees have changed her life. Awa describes how she went from struggling to feed her children for two years and walking 10kms a day to find food, to learning how to make shea butter from the nuts of shea trees. With help from supporters like The Christmas Forest, TREE AID provided the tools and training so that Awa could come together with other women in her village to earn a sustainable income and lift herself out of poverty. Over the next 5 years, TREE AID will be planting a tree every 30 seconds.

For every tree sold at The Christmas Forest, we donated to TREE AID so that another tree can be grown by a family in Africa. Over the last 13 years we have helped to grow 258,443 trees in the drylands of Africa.

Donate to TREE AID and learn more about its work at www.treeaid.org.uk

TREE AID is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee, incorporated in England. Registered Office: Brunswick Court, Brunswick Square, Bristol, BS2 8PE Charity no: 1135156. Company Registration no: 03779554

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