Next Thursday is Tree Day for primary schools. Developed by the Tree Council of Ireland with the agreement of the Department of Education and Science, it will be launched by the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern. The Tree Council promotes trees and woodland culture, especially among young people. The Tree Day project has six main aims:

to develop a concentrated learning programme focusing on trees and the environment.

to ensure that each child in our primary schools will have eight full days where they are exposed to trees and their environment.

to expand children's knowledge of the use of trees and the ecology surroundimg them.

to bring the practical use of trees and wood into play and learning.

to encourage children to become more interested in and familiar with their environment.

to involve parents through active participation and a sharing of knowledge and experiences.

Foremost in the minds of the organisers is the basic point that trees are essential for the environment. One of the main features of Tree Day will be the many guided walks of woodland sites around Ireland.

An interesting statistic, one which helped to prompt the idea of Tree Day, is the fact that almost 43 per cent of our children live in urban areas where trees are not generally in plentiful supply - and those that are around tend to lose their significance in the greater urban background. Tree Day is a step in trying to redress environmental problems by making young people aware of the importance of ecological systems.