Keep Wales Tidy
A A A
Login Donate Shop
Login Donate Shop

My Tree, Our Forest

Create a small woodland within your school and help tackle the climate and biodiversity crises.

We’re proud to be supporting Welsh Government’s ‘My Tree, Our Forest ’ programme. Working in partnership with Size of Wales and Woodland Trust, we’re offering 100 schools the opportunity to have a small woodland planted in their grounds.

Selected schools will receive expert help in planting their trees, and inspiring educational workshops from Keep Wales Tidy and Size of Wales to make sure pupils understand the importance of trees on a local and global scale. The scheme is free of charge to state schools.

Child planting a tree sapling

Applications for My Tree, Our Forest: for schools has now closed. Thank you to all applicants who have expressed interest.

Successful applicants will receive resources, equipment, and expert help in planting their trees. School visits and planting sessions will operate until 31 March 2023.

The free My Tree, Our Forest package will include:

  • 60 or 120 tree saplings – native Welsh tree varieties, supplied by Woodland Trust.
  • Tree guards, canes and mulch mats to help the trees grow successfully.
  • A small selection of tools to help with the planting, including two spades, two watering cans, 20 pairs of gloves, and a mallet.
  • Practical support from Keep Wales Tidy to help your pupils plant the trees on your site.
  • A workshop from Keep Wales Tidy to go alongside the tree planting session, educating pupils on native tree planting, forest care and the importance of habitats for biodiversity and climate change.
  • A workshop from Size of Wales that will engage pupils in an educational workshop that focuses on global tree importance, reforestation, and minimising deforestation in the fight against climate change.

Essential requirements, eligibility and application process

  • Interested schools must complete in full the expression of interest form.
  • Schools must be available for the planting to take place between 1 October 2022 and 31 March 2023.
  • Schools must have a suitably sized area for the trees to be planted. There is the possibility of planting the trees between more than one area or planting as a hedge.
    •  60 trees will require approximately 12×1.5 metres for a hedge or 240 square metres for a small woodland.
    •  120 trees will require 24×1.5 metres for a hedge and 480 square metres for a small woodland.
  • The ground must be suitable for tree planting. This means no tarmac, no overgrown or densely vegetated areas. The soil should be penetrable to a depth of a 30-centimetre ruler.
  • Successful schools need to commit to the long-term protection and maintenance of the planted trees
  • The chosen site for the trees should be suitable for the trees when they are fully grown, representing no disturbance to the wider community or danger.
  • Selected schools should commit to being part of the Eco-Schools programme.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will pupils be involved in the tree planting?
What is the commitment?
Who can apply for packages?
What are the educational workshops that are part of the package?
We received a Keep Wales Tidy Local Places for Nature package previously, or have received trees from other sources can we apply?
We are not part of the Eco-Schools programme – can we apply?
How do I apply?
When will we hear if we are successful?
What is What3words and why do we have to use it?
How much does it cost?

Eco-Schools

Eco-Schools is a global programme engaging 19.5 million children across 70 countries, making it the largest educational programme on the planet. The programme was developed by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) in 1994 and run in Wales by Keep Wales Tidy.

Find out more about Eco-Schools Wales

Get involved

Join an event or webinar, register your interest, or learn how to apply for an award.

View all upcoming events