Trees sponsored by
Spot On Displays

Planting day at Shotley Bridge Junior School

November 2009

Professor David Bellamy helped the children of Shotley Bridge Junior School to plant trees on behalf of local design and print business, Spot On Displays. Spot On Displays have teamed up with Tree Appeal, planting native broadleaf trees into schools, helping them with their mission of growing trees, growing minds.

They had amazing luck with the weather, with the planting falling on a beautiful spring day sandwiched between two full days of rain and wind. It was also a remarkable contrast to the original date that was scheduled, which had to be cancelled at the last minute due to an unexpected snow flurry!

The children were able to get stuck into the planting, without getting too muddy and they successfully planted a grand total of 75 trees. These included oak, willow and silver birch to create a shaded woodland area, complementing the existing ‘tree maze’ that the children had created and their nearby vegetable plots.

Using crab apple and dog rose trees, the children also created an ‘ecological corridor’ along their boundary fence that’s certain to provide a much needed home for a variety of mini beasts.

Spot On Display’s director, Samantha Callon, said “We appreciate that the exhibition and display industry can sometimes be “environmentally unfriendly” with printed graphics often only being used for a few days or even hours. Being a Tree Appeal Partner helps us and our clients by restoring the balance and giving something back."

Headteacher at Shotley Bridge, Helen Cardy, said “We had a wonderful afternoon planting our trees! The children were really excited to be part of this worthwhile project, especially as we are the first official ‘School on the Wild Side’. The opportunity for the children to work with world-renowned botanist David Bellamy was a chance in a lifetime and his infectious enthusiasm will have planted the seeds of a lifetime’s interest in biodiversity for many of them. David was such a good sport, and took the time to chat to the children, as well as their parents and friends.”

Speaking about the benefits that the trees will have on the school, she continued, “The trees have created our outdoor classroom, giving us safe and easy access to a range of ‘hands on’ learning experiences about biodiversity. It will also provide a lovely shaded area where the children can sit on sunny days. We can’t wait to start measuring the trees and collecting data about them as they grow. The children have a real sense of pride in having done something that will last into the future, long after they have left this school, and which has a positive impact on our local environment.”

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