UK Schools Tree Applications

Apply for free trees for your school

Apply On-line now for your Free Trees

Carbon Footprint runs a highly popular UK Tree Planting Project where commercial partners sponsor trees to be planted in schools around the UK to support biodiversity, enhance the UK's natural landscape and to offset the sponsor's carbon emissions. All trees are 1 year old 'whips' (between 40-80cm high dependent on species) and very easy for children to handle and plant. If your school is interested in planting trees or hedgerows on your grounds and promoting environmental education, then please apply to receive donated trees at no cost to you through our UK Tree Planting Project.

What do you get?

We provide the trees and accessories free of charge for your school (whether it is primary, secondary, further or higher education) so all you have to do is plant them! The trees come with canes and biodegradable guard spirals to protect them whilst they are young and to help them grow straight. All our trees are native species and are high quality cell grown 'whips' (1 year old trees that are generally between 40-80cm high and very easy for children to handle), grown in the UK. The trees we provide are supplied in multiples of ten per species .

These whips then grow into trees or hedgerows, supporting biodiversity, creating woodland habitats and providing social benefits to your school and the wider community. The trees help to improve your air quality and to educate and raise awareness about nature and environmental issues among the pupils.

What species of trees do we plant?

This varies from season to season, but all the trees we plant are native broad leaf varieties including:

Hawthorn, Sessile Oak, Hazel, Downy Birch, Guelder Rose, Field Maple, Rowan, English Oak, Blackthorn, Wild Cherry

Also, we have planted common alder, crab apple, silver birch, spindle bush & goat willow.
Note - we are currently not planting Ash due to Chalara Ash die back fungus.

What do you need to do?

To get started, fill out our on-line Tree Application Form detailing a few things about your tree planting project and return it to us. If you are successful, we will get in touch and arrange the delivery of the trees for you to plant.

Planting trees is easy and a perfect opportunity to get the kids involved and to teach them about biodiversity and the importance of trees. The planting itself is also great fun for the kids, as they get stuck in with an interactive activity outside the classroom (see our video below). Simply use a spade to cut into the ground and slot in the cell grown whip. We recommend you dig a T shape cut as it makes it easy for the children to prise open a suitable sized hole. You will need to remember that the trees and their roots can get quite big so make sure to plant them where there is room to grow - away from buildings and not too closely packed (unless planting hedgerows). Once they are in the ground, insert the cane as closely as possible without damaging the roots and place the spiral guard around the whip and cane ensuring to cover the bottom of the tree.

As an important element in Carbon Footprint Ltd’s record keeping, we have made it a requirement that recipients of trees take photographs of the planted whips or, preferably, the process of them being planted. In some cases the corporate sponsor(s) may wish to visit the school during or after the planting which (if you are happy for an event to occur) we will organise with you.

To maintain the trees we advise that you periodically check the whips during the first 2-3 years of planting, for example checking that the whips are still upright. Do not let the grass get so long that it pushes the saplings over, however please be careful when strimming near the whips that you do not damage them. The spiral guards can be removed once there is sufficient growth and the whips are established (generally after 3-5 years).

Apply On-line now for your Free Trees

'Carbon Footprint Ltd organised a super afternoon of planting at school. Sixty of our children dug, planted and backfilled their way through 200 trees to develop the grounds, support wildlife and of course improve the air quality at school. Many thanks for their buoyant enthusiasm.'
Richard Gasser, Headteacher, Park Junior School.

Tree Planting Season

Unfortunately, trees cannot be planted all year round. The planting season traditionally runs from November through to April, however cell-grown whips have higher survival rates so the planting season can be extended. You can still make your application at any time so that we can keep you in mind for our next order of trees.