AN ILKLEY primary school has been chosen to take part in an exciting new initiative to inspire school children to take an interest in their local environment.

As part of a wider campaign by Bettys to promote the value of native trees and woodland, Groundwork isdelivering the Seedlings for Life project to pupils and teachers in primary schools located in the vicinity of the Bettys Cafe Tea Rooms.

The aim of the project is to promote the value of native trees and woodlands and inspire local children to take an interest in their green spaces.

Pupils at Ashlands Primary School in Leeds Road, Ilkley, started work on the project last term, when Ian Johnson, education officer for the Seedlings for Life project with Groundwork Wakefield, visited the school to do some outdoor work and talk with the children about trees and what they need to survive.

Throughout the project children will learn about the lifecycle of trees; explore their school grounds for leaves and seeds and create environmental art projects. The children will also plant trees as part of the project.

Ashlands Primary School headteacher Andrew Soutar said: “We are very happy to have been chosen to take part in the Bettys Seedlings for Life project.

“This is a great opportunity for children throughout the school to understand how plants germinate from seeds and eventually become mature trees.

“We hope that they will enjoy learning about the environment and understanding the impact that we have on our planet as well as enjoying the new trees that will be planted.

“We would like to thank Bettys, Groundwork and parents who help the children with gardening and planting.”

Peter Murphy, operations director at Groundwork Wakefield, said: “We are delighted to be working with Bettys to inspire local school children to learn more about the environment.

“This is a great opportunity for young children to get their hands dirty, take pride in planting trees and contribute to a greener local environment.”

Sam Gibson, ethical projects officer at Bettys and Taylors, said: “Even before climate change became such a concern, our family business felt it was important to plant and protect trees because at the end of the day, everything we offer our customers, from coffee to cakes, comes from the land.”

The project has been delivered to schools since September and the first school to be involved was Rossett Acre Primary School, Harrogate. Work has also started in Applegarth Primary School, Northallerton, St Peter’s CE Primary School, Harrogate and St Barnabas CE Primary School, York. Ashlands is the first in the Ilkley area to be involved.