Hi everyone, my name is Ms. Voyle.

And welcome to our final lesson in our local and global geography unit, why are trees and forests important? Our lesson today is called Planning tree planting in the local area.

I hope you are feeling excited because I am really looking forward to teaching you this lesson.

By the end of the lesson, you will be able to consider evidence from field work and other sources to find a location to plant trees in the local area.

This will be a really exciting lesson where you will be able to get out into your local area and find the perfect site for some new trees.

I hope you're feeling excited, geographers.

Here are the key words for today's lesson.

Let's read and define each one.

First, let's practise saying them.

My turn, your turn.

Grid references.

Survey.

Risk assessment.

Great job, well done.

Let's take a look at their definitions.

A grid reference is a way of locating a point on a map using numbered squares.

A survey is a way of collecting information by asking a set of questions.

And a risk assessment looks at what hazards we might come across and how to keep us safe.

We have now looked in detail at why trees are important locally and globally.

And what's the recent changes in woodland across the world and near us.

In our lesson today, we will be trying to plan some tree planting.

To begin with, we will think about why we need more trees in our local area.

Then we will identify some sites that we think might be suitable for tree planting.

After that, we will get outside and use our fieldwork techniques to help us choose the best site.

We've got lots to do, so let's get started with why do we need more trees? As we just said, we already know many, many reasons why trees are important, not just for local communities, but also on a global scale.

Trees have an important and positive effect by.

Supporting biodiversity, by providing habitats for a variety of animals and plants.

Combating climate change, by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it for hundreds of years.

Reducing pollution and urban temperatures.

Preventing flooding.

And improving human health and wellbeing.

And of course, this is in addition to being used for food production and as a provider of natural resources like timber for building and furniture.

But we have also found out that unfortunately, the amount of woodland has been decreasing globally and in the UK in recent years.

While forests cover 1/3 of the world, just over 1/10 of the UK is covered with trees.

Jun asks, what difference would it make if we had more trees? If there were more trees in the UK, it would greatly improve biodiversity and help to combat climate change.

Let's look at how this could happen.

Let's begin by looking at the relationship between trees and biodiversity.

1/3 of all woodland wildlife species in the UK are currently in decline.

By restoring precious habitats and planting new native woodland with UK-grown trees, we can extend and create havens for wildlife, boosting biodiversity.

Let's check your understanding.

Why are trees important for biodiversity? Is it because.

A, they provide a habitat for animals.

B, they look nice in a park.

C, they provide food for animals.

Pause the video and select the correct answers.

The answers are A and C.

Well done.

Trees are important for biodiversity because they provide a habitat for animals and they provide food for animals.

Finally, let's think about the relationship between trees and climate change.

Planting billions of trees across the world is one of the easiest and cheapest ways of taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere to tackle the climate crisis.

As trees grow, they absorb and store the carbon dioxide emissions that are driving global heating.

Climate change and a decline in biodiversity are huge and complex issues.

As individuals, we can sometimes feel helpless.

But Sam says there is something we can all do to help.

We can increase tree and woodland cover by planting trees.

Let's pause here and check your understanding.

True or false? There is nothing we can do as individuals to resolve the issues of climate change or biodiversity loss.

Pause the video and select the correct answer.

That is false.

Well done.

Now it's time to justify your answer.

A, planting a tree can help combat climate change and reduce biodiversity loss.

Or B, we have to wait for others to plant forests to fight climate change and stop biodiversity loss.

Pause the video and select the correct justification.

The correct justification is A.

Well done.

Even though climate change and biodiversity loss are global issues, there is something we can do ourselves that will help.

Planting a tree can help combat both of these complex issues.

Imagine you have been offered 30 free native trees to plant in your local area.

This is actually a current initiative run by the Woodland Trust.

Free packs of trees are available to schools and communities.

You may even have applied for some and already completed some tree planting in the past.

Where would be the best place to grow a new native woodland nearby? Look back at the local area map you created in your first lesson.

Some areas on the map are not suitable for planting trees.

For example, grey areas which are roads and tarmac.

Or yellow areas, which are buildings.

Let's check your understanding.

Take a close look at this map.

Can you identify which areas in their current state are unsuitable for planting trees? Pause the video and answer this now.

Let's take a look at the answers.

Did you correctly spot areas that were shaded yellow? These are the buildings and woodland cannot be planted where an existing building is.

Did you also notice the grey areas on the map? These are usually roads or car parks.

And again, are not suitable for planting.

It's actually quite difficult to tell in some areas.

That's why we will need to go out and conduct some field work to decide upon the best site.

It's time for your first task today.

I would like you to choose three potential tree planting locations around your local area to investigate.

Remember not to choose anywhere shaded yellow or grey.

Once you have chosen, mark the sites on your map, and give four figure grid references for each.

Remember to look along the corridor for your easting number first and then up the stairs for your northing.

Pause the video and do the task now.

Welcome back and well done for completing the task.

How did you get on? Did you choose three sites that were not on any yellow or grey areas? Did you remember to note down the four figure grid reference? These are the three sites I have chosen in my local area.

Would you have chosen these two? Site one is located in the corner of a playing field in grid reference 6870.

Site two is in the grounds of a local school in grid reference 6969.

And site three is located in the centre of a playing field in grid reference 6771.

Now that we understand why the UK and the world need more trees and have picked out three sites which could be suitable, our next task is to investigate where the best place for our 30 new saplings would be.

Before we decide on a planting site, we must make sure the new trees are given the best possible chance of survival.

We will need to consider these questions before planting.

Who owns the land? Is the land suitable for native tree planting? Is the land close to buildings and services? What position is best for the trees to be planted? And how might it affect the local community? You would also need to consider when would be the best time to plant the trees.

If you sign up to the Woodland Trust free tree scheme, your trees will be delivered in the autumn or spring, so that will be when you need to plant them.

Let's now take a look at each of these considerations in turn.

Who owns the land? Do you own the land you want to plant on? Is it part of your school grounds? If not, you will need permission to plant from the legal landowner.

Your adult can help organise this part of the tree planting for you.

Is your land suitable for native tree planting? There are some places you mustn't plant trees, such as archaeological sites like this Roman ruin.

Speak to your county archaeologist if you're unsure.

Sites with rare or protected species.

Grassland that has never been ploughed.

Wetlands.

Heathland.

Your adult will be able to tell you if the land you have chosen is suitable.

Is the land close to buildings and services? Be aware of any under or above ground services and design your planting accordingly.

Growing trees can interfere with electricity cables, building structures, or underground pipes, so leave plenty of space.

Some of these will be easy to see during field work, but others like pipes will be more tricky to identify.

And what position is best for the trees to be planted? It's important to think about the final size and spread of the trees and how you will use the site as the trees grow.

Avoid planting under existing trees, as shade and lack of water will seriously restrict growth.

Allow plenty of distance from existing hedges as they could swamp the growth of new trees.

How might it affect the local community? Your new woodland will impact the local landscape too, so consider how it may affect other people.

You may want to talk to neighbours about your planting design to avoid future conflicts.

Or consider holding a planting event for the community.

Avoid planting in areas where ball games will be played.

Damage to a sapling will affect the growth of your trees.

Let's check your understanding.

Which features should be avoided when planting trees? A, underground pipes.

B, electricity cables.

C, open ground.

D, walls.

Pause the video and select the correct answers.

The answers are A, B, and D.

Well done.

Underground pipes, electricity cables, and walls are all features that should be avoided when planting trees.

Open ground is what would work best for a new woodland.

When we go outside on our field work, what will we actually look for at each site? We need to survey each site on our map and check for the features that we have just discussed to decide which area would be the best.

But how should we record this? Should we write down everything we observe? Is that useful in helping us make a decision? For example, Jun noticed this at site one.

Site one is very close to the walls of two buildings.

When the trees grow, their roots might damage the foundations of the buildings or block light out from the windows.

This wouldn't be a great place to plant for that reason.

Sam checked for the same features at site three.

They said, site three is not close to any buildings, which means the trees won't interfere or cause a problem as they grow.

Have Jun and Sam helped us to compare these sites efficiently? Do you think their observations were recorded in a way that can help us compare these sites quickly and easily? Jun and Sam did not to record their observations in a way that is efficient for comparing these sites.

If we have options to choose from, it makes data collection much easier.

We could just answer yes or no to each question.

For example, is the site away from buildings? Jun would answer no for site one.

And Sam would answer yes for site three.

This is much clearer.

Scoring different options could also help us to make a good decision on where to plant trees.

For example, a yes answer could score one point.

And a no answer, which means there are issues or problems, could score zero points.

So site one that Jun checked would score zero points and site three that Sam checked would score one point.

We would then add these scores to each question up for each site to compare them.

The site which scored the most points would be the best place to plant the trees.

Let's check your understanding.

Which site would be the best place to plant our new trees? A, site one, which scored five points.

B, site two, which scored two points.

Or C, site three, which scored four points.

Pause the video and select the correct answer.

If we scored one point for each yes question, then the site with the most points would be the best.

So A, site one, would be the best of our three options.

Well done.

Before we go out and do our field work, we need to make sure that we know how to keep ourselves safe.

Being outside means we have to think about new risks that we might come across.

This is known as a risk assessment.

Can you think what these risks might be? Let's check your understanding.

Which three of these will keep us safe during field work? A, staying next to our adult.

B, keeping away from the edge of the road.

C, crossing the road whenever we like.

D, walking not running.

Pause the video and select the correct answers.

The answers are A, B, and D.

Well done.

We can stay safe during field work by staying next to our adult, keeping away from the edge of the road, and walking not running.

We should not be crossing roads whenever we like.

Your final task today is to visit each site on your map that you identified as a potential tree planting site.

Conduct this survey at each site and then calculate an overall score for each location.

Each question will allow you to choose a yes or no response.

Yes in this case being the positive or good option each time.

Once you have completed the field work and have a total score for each site, you can then decide which is the most suitable site for planting, the site which scored the highest points.

Pause the video and do the task now.

Welcome back and well done for completing the task.

Did you manage to survey each site? Which ones scored the highest? Do you think this would be a good place to plant some trees for real? If so, why not order some from the Woodland Trust? They are free.

I conducted field work in my local area and collected this data.

I found that site three was the most suitable site because it scored the most points on the survey.

We had the landowner's permission.

It was suitable land, free from tarmac or paving, away from buildings, overhead cables, walls, boundaries, and existing trees and hedges.

However, it was near to underground pipes and to places where people play football.

Maybe there could be a solution to these two issues before we finalise our planting project and get the trees into the ground.

Excellent field work today, geographers.

Let's summarise what we have learnt today.

We have learnt that maps and grid references can be used to identify and locate areas that may be suitable for tree planting.

We know that tools such as questionnaires, interviews, and surveys can be used to collect data about tree planting sites.

And we also know that scoring different options helps us to make a decision on where to plant trees.

And that concludes our geography lesson on planning tree planting in our local area and our whole unit on why trees and forests are important.

I hope these lessons have inspired you to protect our woodland and maybe even plant some trees yourself.

A forest starts with one tree.