All 151 Glasgow primary schools will help re-wild a 13-hectare site on the run up to the UN Climate Summit. The children of Glasgow will transform this site into a Glasgow Children’s Woodland with oak trees that they have grown from seed – proving no-one is too small to make a difference.
The Lost Woods’ /Glasgow Children’s Woodland – a fantastic volunteer-led initiative is empowering Glasgow schools to use their voice ahead of COP26 and inspire world leaders to take action now for young people everywhere!
In partnership with Neighbourhoods, Regeneration and Sustainability at Glasgow City Council, Green Action Trust, Trees for Cities, Scottish Forestry, ScottishPower and The Conservation Volunteers a total of 17k new trees will be planted on this 13ha site that overlooks the city of Glasgow, giving the next generation a voice, calling for change at COP26 and leaving a lasting legacy for today’s and future generations to enjoy.
Eddie Murray from Glasgow Gaelic School said – “The thing I’m most looking forward to is that all the children of Glasgow are going to make a magnificent green space for future Generations and when we have children, we can tell them… we did that. Plus, going outdoors and planting trees is fun.”
Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform, Màiri McAllan said: “Climate change and nature loss are the greatest long-term, global threats we face. By expanding our forests and woodlands we can help to reverse these threats and create a cleaner and healthier nation. “Young people are our future and it’s so important to involve them in this crucial movement at an early age. This project is simply brilliant and a fantastic way to get children involved and make their voices heard ahead of COP26.”
Set-up in December 2019, The Lost Woods project had the ambitious plan of reaching out to all the Glasgow primary schools to help children feel more connected to nature. In March 2020, before lockdown, they delivered tree seed packs to primary schools across Glasgow, to enable children to grow oak trees from acorns, bringing climate optimism and learning to life. The project has now secured a 13-hectare site on the southside of the city which will be named the Glasgow Children’s Woodland and will involve all the primary schools planting their trees this October.
This site will act as the legacy woodland for the UN Climate Summit which will be hosted in Glasgow in November. The Lost Woods hopes to create a wonderful learning experience for all the Glasgow children and develop a woodland that will benefit both the community and environment.
Councillor Philip Braat, the Lord Provost of Glasgow said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for every Glasgow primary school to plant a legacy in the name of COP26 and to help towards changing the tide on the climate emergency we are all facing and something we all need to tackle to make the planet better for all generations.”
Keith Anderson, Chief Executive, ScottishPower said: “Over the last few years we have been hugely inspired by the positive action young people have taken across the country to combat climate change. ScottishPower is supporting The Lost Woods project to give young people in Glasgow the opportunity to create the city’s largest woodland creation for 40 years, ahead of the UN COP26 climate change conference, as we all pull together to accelerate the march to net zero.”
Over four days in October (4th – 7th), 1,200 primary school children will come together as representatives of all communities across Glasgow, to use their voice and inspire and enable individuals, communities and world leaders to take action now! Through this project, each community will be represented through their local primary schools who are planting 13 hectares of saplings on the outskirts of the city, as the legacy to COP26. This project is the first woodland of its size to be planted in Glasgow for generations and part of a wider woodland ambition known as the Cart & Kittoch. This new native woodland also aims to contribute towards the Central Scotland Green Network vision of enriching the environment of central Scotland, benefiting local communities and wildlife, and helping to mitigate against climate change.
Councillor Anna Richardson, City Convener for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction, Glasgow City Council, said: “We are delighted to partner with the Lost Woods for Phase 2 of our Community Woodlands Project. As we look to meet our objectives of our Glasgow Climate Plan exciting projects such as this, with children at the centre, will ensure we continue to improve our environment while providing opportunities for our communities to actively participate in climate related activities.”
Douglas Worrall, Director of Service Delivery, Green Action Trust said: “We are thrilled to be involved in this partnership project which will engage all Glasgow primary schools in creating one of the most significant new woodlands in the city. The trees the children plant will help to create new woodland which will connect with other woodlands around the south of the city, delivering benefits for people, wildlife and the climate. This is a great example of what cities can do and is an excellent example of young people taking action to protect their future and the future of the planet.”
This project will not only sequester nearly 6,000 tons of CO2 over its lifetime but will encourage the planting and protection of more trees in our towns and cities and enable and unite a new generation of young people to value urban nature and green spaces both here in the UK and around the world.
As well as engaging schools in Glasgow, this project also reaches schools worldwide, including Kenya and Rwanda. Together with environmental charity Trees for Cities and ‘The Lost Woods’, this project will aim to voice and share their concerns, hopes and ambitions for the future of our planet ahead of COP26.
David Elliott, Chief Executive of Trees for Cities, said: “We are incredibly proud to be supporting The Lost Woods and the creation of the Glasgow Children’s Woodland ahead of COP26. This fantastic project will see 151 schools in Glasgow plant over 17,000 trees across October, sending a powerful message to world leaders to listen and take action for young people everywhere. This project aligns with our Generation Tree strategy, which is all about getting young people outside, connecting with nature and understanding all the multiple benefits this nature has on their lives. We wish them all the best of luck!”
As part of the project’s ongoing legacy, The Lost Woods project seek to forge new international relationships with children and teachers around the world, using the power of education and shared goals that unite us all and do not know borders or boundaries.
Alex Mackenzie, Project Co-ordinator of THE LOST WOODS said: “The creation of the Glasgow Children’s Woodland has been a community effort from across the world. We all shared in the vision that we wanted children to feel connected to nature and show in a tangible and simple way that they can transform their environment for the better … even from a single acorn! Only together can we create a greener, healthier and happier world and the Glasgow children are proving that no-one is too small to make a difference.”
