On a bright but chilly Saturday morning, a band of intrepid parents, children, community workers and Goodgymers joined Jo Sayers and her team from The Mersey Forest.
The task...to plant a new Tiber forest for the nursery children, and wider community at The Greenhouse Project. Conditions were perfect, the volunteers were ready...and it was #TreeCharterDay. Jo and her team had been busy marking out pathways, borders and areas for trees to be planted. Armed with spades, trowels and forks, the willing workforce had soon peppered the ground with holes, ready for planting. A variety of trees and bulbs had been donated by The Mersey Forest Team as part of their growing network of woodlands and green spaces across Cheshire and Merseyside: The Mersey Forest is created with people, not just for people - bringing a whole range of social benefits. As well as improving physical and mental health, spending time in woodlands and green spaces provides opportunities for children to thrive through 'natural play', involve them in making improvements to their green environment, learn about wildlife and healthy eating - possibly growing their own snacks in the school orchards and growing areas. Before long, the once rubble-strewn wasteland was no more: spring bulbs were planted around the whips and saplings, borders were created and pathways trodden down as the community of tree planters dug, cleared and planted their way around the site. By lunchtime the transformation was complete: there was a living, breathing forest school area, just waiting to be explored.