Carrickfergus Borough Council in Northern Ireland has teamed up with the Woodland Trust to plant thousands of native trees at Bashfordsland, with the help of local school children.

The undertaking comprises part of the trust’s nationwide Tree for All campaign, which aims to plant 12 million trees throughout the UK, with half a million set for Northern Ireland.

The campaign marks the largest tree-planting initiative in the UK by children, and equates to one tree for every child under the age of 16. To date, 16,000 trees have been planted.

Alderman May Beattie, chair of the parks, countryside & amenities sub-committee for the council, said: “We’re extremely grateful to the schools taking part. Trees and woodland should be taken more seriously, because as well as providing an aesthetically pleasant environment, urban forests can cheaply and easily improve air quality and biodiversity, lessen soil erosion and flood damage and improve community spirit, health and fitness.

“Woodlands have also been shown to encourage more healthy, open-air behaviour in residents, such as walking, cycling and bird watching, and to provide ‘a living labs and outdoor classrooms’ in which urbanites like myself can learn about the natural world.”

The series of tree-planting events at Bashfordsland are being delivered in partnership with the Ulster Wildlife Trust with the support of the Better Belfast Landfill Tax Credit Scheme.

Photograph: schoolchildren from Central Primary School in Carrickfergus Borough with Alderman May Beattie