Scouts for Trees plant 500,000th tree

Scouts for Trees, a partnership between the Woodland Trust and the Scouts Association, has resulted in 500,000 trees being planted by Scouts. Across the UK, 100 woods have been created to celebrate the Centenary of Scouting.

The Woodland Trust and The Scout Association formed the 'Scouts For Trees' partnership so that each of the 400,000 Scouts in the UK could have the chance to plant a tree to mark the Centenary of Scouting in 2007. The initiative also provides Scouts and young people with the opportunity to learn about and engage in, woodland conservation.

The tree planting campaign was funded by The Veolia Environmental Trust, which awarded the Woodland Trust a £200,000 grant through the Landfill Communities Fund. The grant has funded 40 planting events across the UK, with the aim of leaving an environmental legacy and giving young people the chance to develop new skills.

The Executive Director of The Veolia Environmental Trust, Margaret Cobbold, said: "The Trust is proud to have been involved in such an important and special project. It is an excellent example of how Landfill Communities Fund can help young volunteers create a greener Britain and learn new skills in the process."

The joint venture is part of the Woodland Trust's 'Tree For All' campaign, the largest children's tree planting operation ever. It aims to involve one million children in planting twelve million trees across the UK, the equivalent to one tree for every child under the age of sixteen. Already over 4.5 million trees have been planted as part of Tree For All.

www.woodland-trust.org.uk