School unveils new ‘tree corridor’ as nearly 900 trees planted

A primary school has unveiled its new ‘tree corridor’ – with nearly 900 trees planted as part of an effort to ‘future-proof’ the school.

Plasyfelin pupils teamed up with the wider community as part of the project, which saw more than 20 tree species planted on the school grounds.

The school worked alongside Climate Action Caerphilly, and the community interest company Nature Nurture Education, to create the tree corridor – which was designed by the pupils themselves.

It took around two weeks to plant, with pupils and volunteers spending a combined 122 hours working to make the plans a reality.

As part of the project, the children took part in a series of assemblies and workshops, with a focus on ‘future-proofing’ the school, which is set to be demolished and replaced by a brand new building on the same site in Churchill Park.

To make way for the new building, a number of trees will have to be cut down – with the tree corridor a way of replacing those trees.

Funding came from Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Community Empowerment Fund – which is a pot of money allocated to each elected councillor to give towards projects within their wards.

Lynn Gazal, of Climate Action Caerphilly, explained how the group worked with the school to bring the idea to life.

“The ideas came from a consultation with pupils, who came up with the designs for the tree corridor during the workshops.”

Mrs Gazal praised teachers Mike Lewis and Claire Tidy and fellow director Jo Walters, for their combined role in leading the project, as well as volunteer Terry Gordon, a retired engineer who gave up his own time to help with the technicalities of the project.

“We had around 840 trees given to us by Woodland Trust and iDig,” Ms Gazal continued. “There are a range of trees, including rowan, dogwood, dog rose, hazel, beech, downy birch, crabapple, elder, and wild cherry.

“We also planted trees grown by members of the community. 

“Every child in the school planted at least one tree.”

Mrs Gazal also highlighted how, with the school being next to the Nant yr Aber river, the tree corridor could act as a defence against any potential flooding in the future.

Morgan Jones ward councillor Shayne Cook, who is a governor at the school, helped out with the tree planting. He said: “Plasyfelin has a history of supporting and encouraging local biodiversity. It was good to work with pupils to plant trees which will be enjoyed and cherished for decades to come.”