Project takes root and St Leonards Primary

Jan 23 2013 by Nicola Findlay, East Kilbride News

Employees from EDF Energy have gone back to their roots at an East Kilbride school, more than two years after they planted dozens of trees to celebrate Green Britain Day.

Pupils, parents, teachers and EDF Energy employees planted native Scottish tree saplings in a plot of land within St Leonard’s Primary School’s grounds in June 2010.

The project was designed to help ignite the interest of school children in topical scientific issues such as rainforest destruction, global warming, carbon emissions, pollution and recycling.

Children at the school have since watered and weeded the plot, successfully nurturing the saplings into healthy young trees. The time was right to return to the school and move the trees to allow them more space to thrive.

Class teacher and science co-ordinator for the school, Mrs Irene Melrose, said: “Our partnership with EDF Energy has been extremely successful. They sent a willing team to help children at the school plant saplings three years ago.

“This week their team returned and helped the children re-plant the young trees.

“The children thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and have learned a lot about the valuable role of trees in reducing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.

“EDF Energy has been an important partner for us.

“In addition to helping with the tree planting project, they have helped fund Generation Science workshops which have visited the school and given all the pupils an opportunity to experience science in an interesting, interactive and enjoyable way.”

EDF Energy’s Anshul Sharma led the team of willing volunteers.

He said: “EDF Energy now has a project called ‘Helping Hands’ which encourages employees to volunteer for local projects in their area.

“We were delighted when Mrs Melrose approached us to help move the trees which we had planted there as part of Green Britain Day.

“The weather obviously wasn’t as good as the day we first visited the school, but despite that the EDF Energy team had a lot of fun helping the children nurture the trees and move them to their new homes.”

Through its sustainability commitments, EDF Energy has launched one of the biggest environmental and social programmes of any British energy company.

In the 2012 Business in the Community Awards for Excellence EDF Energy won the awards for Environmental Leadership and Building Stronger Communities.