With Apple Day on the calendar for this month, Bradford Council’s Trees and Woodlands Service is inviting schools, community groups and individuals to consider planting apple, fruit and other trees on their land.
How to plant a tree has now been set out in clear and easy steps in a video by Fruit Works Co-operative, a partner in the council’s Tree for Every Child project. Local resident Tabassum Kazi plants an apple tree in her back garden, explaining each step as she goes along, from digging a hole to planting the tree, mulching the ground around the base, maintenance and watering to aid the tree’s strong and healthy growth.
Takeaway trees are one of the options available through the Tree for Every Child project, which was launched in November 2020. The project aims to plant 55,000 trees over two years – the equivalent of one tree for every primary school child in the district.
The options offered to schools and families were:
- Helping to plant new woodlands with public access
- Starting a school orchard, with support and guidance
- Trees for the school grounds
- Small ‘takeaway’ trees for people to take home and plant in their gardens.
Currently, 40 schools have signed up to plant mini orchards. The takeaway trees currently available are not fruit trees, but a range of small tree varieties which will be given away at schools and woodland planting events. Some trees will be available in the New Year for anyone wanting one who is not connected to a school or woodland event.
Cllr Sarah Ferriby, Portfolio Holder for Healthy People and Places, said: “This video gives very clear and accessible instructions on how to plant a tree and hopefully shows people how easy it is. Planting trees not only benefits the environment, by removing carbon from the atmosphere, but also they create a sense of wellbeing and a barometer for the changing seasons.”
Most of the fruit we eat in the Bradford District is imported, so has a much higher carbon footprint than home grown fruit. Growing our own is a practical, easy and effective way to reduce carbon emissions. Fruit is in many ways the easiest food to grow and often leads people to growing more food.
Tree for Every Child is being supported by Trees for Cities which is funded by The Dulverton Trust, The Prince of Wales's Charitable Fund and The Arbor Day Foundation. As well as The players of the Postcode Lottery.
The Council is also working with a range of partners including Forest of Bradford (BEAT), Fruit Works (Bradford and Leeds), Better Place Bradford, Bradford Environmental Education Service, Yorgreen CIC, Town and Parish Councils.
Apple Day is an annual celebration of apples and orchards in the UK. It falls on 21 October, but events are held throughout the month.
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