From keepers of bees to lovers of trees

Hundreds of groups are donning welly boots to improve their local patch.

Schools, youth groups and community groups are planting free trees this month, thanks to conservation charity the Woodland Trust.

Anglers, academics, beekeepers and more are planting some 13,000 native saplings across Northern Ireland.

And while the groups’ reasons for planting are individual, the benefits – to wildlife and to the environment – are lasting and shared.

The packs contain a mix of native species such as hazel, rowan, hawthorn, oak, silver birch, wild cherry, elder and holly.

They come in a choice of three sizes – 30, 105 or 420 saplings.

That’s enough to plant a small copse or hedgerow, or to cover an area the size of a football pitch.

It’s not too late for schools and groups to follow suit, as the trust is now inviting applications for a November delivery.

Find out more and apply online now at www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/freetrees.

The trees are generously funded by Sainsbury’s, IKEA FAMILY and Yorkshire Tea.