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Walk past the average primary, intermediate, or secondary school in Aotearoa New Zealand, and you can’t help but smile as you notice all the greenery. We are fortunate to have school boards and governments that value tree planting and foliage to give our educational facilities much-needed vibrancy.But could tree planting be about more than just aesthetics? When the time comes to plant a new native tree on your school’s grounds, you might be surprised at how many of the following benefits it might offer your tamariki.
Health and Wellbeing
There are many physical, cognitive, and social-emotional well-being benefits associated with green schoolyards, according to research. Children are able to enjoy imaginative and explorative play for a healthier energy outlet while also enjoying healthier lifestyles through their increased physical activity.
There’s also reason to believe that green spaces have therapeutic properties to decrease negative emotions and improve mental well-being.
How Does Learning About Trees Contribute to the Development of Children?
Learning about nature and trees can greatly benefit children’s development, as exposure to greenery can create an ideal learning environment for them. This can enhance their cognitive function, creativity, and well-being.
Studies have shown that children who engage with nature tend to have enhanced knowledge of more subjects. They also achieve better grades and, on average, higher test scores. Many children included in studies at schools with plenty of greenery were also able to regulate their attention patterns and focus better.
Access to Nature for All
While plenty of children are fortunate to have access to natural, green environments at home, not all do. However, schools with greenery ensure all children are able to enjoy natural surroundings regardless of their families’ socioeconomic backgrounds.
There’s also the added bonus of having children benefit from sensory-rich experiences when the world has become increasingly digitised.
Shade
Some benefits associated with trees in school yards are much more prominent and well-known. Trees provide shade, and shade can be necessary for safe outdoor eating and play during the warmer months of the year.
Rather than sit out in the elements with the sun beating down on them, children can take a seat on the grass underneath a tree and enjoy the shade it produces while they devour their packed sandwiches.
However, it’s important to prioritise tree safety when trees are used in this way. Hiring trained arborists to maintain the health of trees in school yards can give educators much-needed peace of mind.
Grounds Beautification
All children deserve the right to have a sense of pride in the school they attend. In later years, they can look back and proudly say that they went to a specific school in a particular town.
While building aesthetics and teachers play a core part in this pride, so too do the grounds. Beautifying school property with an array of native trees can contribute to feelings of pride that students, teachers, and parents have when they speak about their educational facility.
Bringing Communities Together
Planting a few trees might not seem like something that can bring the community together, but it can. According to spokespeople from Matariki Tu Rākau, planting trees can provide shade, beautify school grounds, teach children about the importance of trees, and bring school communities together.
Since 2018, Matariki Tu Rākau has supported the planting efforts for over 100 living memorials, and over half a million trees have been planted at 250 planting events since the programme’s inception.
Sustainability
Planting trees on school grounds can teach children about sustainability. In specific tree-planting programmes, teachers can educate their students about the role of trees in reforestation and the creation of a healthy and stable climate. The more children learn about trees, their benefits, and their environmental impacts, the more interested in sustainability they might become in the future.
According to a Matariki Tu Rākau spokesperson, planting trees in the right place for the right purpose might allow us to influence climate change and improve our environment.
Why You Can Rely on Pro Climb for Tree Services in Schools?
You can rely on Pro Climb for tree services in Auckland schools because they are knowledgeable and capable experts who can provide high-quality tree maintenance services on a contract basis in Auckland schools. This ensures that trees are adequately maintained and safe and do not cause any damage to infrastructure or property. Contact Pro Climb today for a no-obligation quote and to learn more about their reliable and professional services.