National Tree Week is currently underway with events across the country celebrating and raising awareness of the importance of trees to the environment.
Organised by The Tree Council of Ireland and supported by Coillte, the annual event seeks to inspire people to plant and care for trees.
This year’s theme, ‘Biodiversity Begins with Trees’, aims to highlight the benefits of trees to the environment and local communities.
There is a packed schedule of activities running until Sunday, March 26, such as eco art workshops, biodiversity talks, group forest walks, and tree-planting.
A series of expert-led webinars will also be held across the week with each session providing insights and perspectives from industry leaders on the critical role of trees for the development of sustainable communities.
National Tree Week
Since its inception in 1985, National Tree Week has been responsible for planting over
half a million trees in Ireland.
The trees are supplied by the Tree Council of Ireland and Coillte to communities nationwide through local authorities.
This year, Coillte is donating 150,000 native tree saplings, including oak, birch, alder, and rowan, for planting by local community groups.
Launching National Tree Week 2023, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Pippa Hackett said:
“Planting trees is one of the most effective ways of tackling climate change and can contribute to improved biodiversity, water quality and wellbeing.
“I commend the Tree Council of Ireland and Coillte for supporting the government’s mission to plant trees and inspiring people throughout our island to care for our woodlands,” she said.
President of the Tree Council of Ireland, Éanna Ní Lamhna added: “Trees are essential to our environment, and they have the biggest role to play in slowing down biodiversity loss.
“It is our responsibility to plant and protect trees, not only for ourselves but for future generations,” she said.
To find out events are happening in your local area log onto the Tree Council of Ireland website.