Mansfield schools invited to plant fruit tree orchard to help the environment

In 2022, Veolia Nottinghamshire and its charity partners Groundwork, delivered 35 free fruit trees to seven schools across the county, and this year they want to support more schools.

This initiative was launched in 2022 to foster a deeper connection with nature while empowering students with the skills to take care of their local environments.

A Veolia Orchard is made up of five young fruit trees to bring nature and biodiversity to playgrounds, big or small.

Coun Neil Clarke, council cabinet member for transport and environment, said: “We’re delighted to be running this campaign in Nottinghamshire once again and are sure our schools will appreciate having the chance to improve their outdoor spaces by planting fruit trees.

“Planting fruit trees provides local school children with the chance to get their hands dirty while learning at the same time. Not only does it help to increase their understanding of where their food comes from, it also helps to support the fight against climate change.”

Schools can apply online at veolia.co.uk/veolia-orchard until Monday, July 24.

Successful applicants will be informed in September with deliveries set to take place during October and November.

The trees and plants will be accompanied by an information pack on how to plant and how to harvest the fruit, which, Veolia says, makes this a unique learning opportunity for pupils.