A Catalan primary school is celebrating the International Day of Forests this year with a campaign to plant more trees in the school’s playgrounds.
Children from 1st to 5th grade (6 – 11 years old) from the El Farell primary school in Caldes de Montbui, near Barcelona, Spain, explain why they want more trees for their playground in this video shared for social media to back up the campaign.
“We want a playground with trees to give us shade”, states Berta from 1st grade, but there are many more good reasons for planting trees at school. These include brain development, better performance, and higher creativity, according to the report Health and Nature. A guide to promoting the combination of health and nature in childhood, adolescence and youth, coordinated by the Catalan Society for Environmental Education with the support of the Department of Territory, Housing and Transition (2024).
In addition to the other many benefits for human health and well-being that trees provide, including absorbing CO2, preventing erosion, regulating temperature, cleaning the air, and offering habitat for a wealth of biodiversity, education in contact with nature has positive effects on emotional and social development. It allows children to gain self-esteem and self-confidence, reduces stress and aggression, and improves social skills and imagination. But “above all, trees make us feel better”, concludes Edurne from 3rd grade, and this could be a sentiment that resonates for us all.
The school will offer workshops to families on Saturday 22 March as its official celebration of the International Day of Forests, and as a fundraiser towards the trees the school and its children would like to plant. The workshops include orienteering, seed bombs, nature art, cyanotype printing, and cabin making with living wicker from reeds and bamboo.
The trees for playgrounds campaign is a joint initiative between families and the school, with support from the school’s AFA (Families’ Association).
El Farell school website: https://agora.xtec.cat/ceipelfarell/
