Cork County Council Invites Groups to Plant a Native Tree for National Tree Week
Cork County Council is offering native trees to schools, community groups and organisations to celebrate National Tree Week 2025. An initiative of the Tree Council of Ireland, National Tree Week will take place from March the 9th to the 16th.
The initiative invites communities to learn about the folklore of trees, their practical applications and to appreciate the importance of a healthy and diverse native tree stock. Since its inception in 1985, National Tree Week has been responsible for planting over half a million trees in Ireland, including over 5,000 in Cork County in the past 6 years alone.
Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Joe Carroll is encouraging schools and local organisations to get involved,
Mayor
Trees provide a number of essential ecoservices and are very much part of the Irish psyche, giving us folklore and mythology as well as people’s names and placenames. Over 50 townlands in Cork County are named after the oak tree alone. I encourage all of those with an interest in our collective tree heritage to participate in the week and perhaps even find the time to plant a few trees in your community.
National Tree Week has grown from strength to strength in Cork County over the past number of years. In 2024, Cork County Council allocated more than 1,000 trees to over 100 recipients and thanks to the support of the Tree Council of Ireland, the Council’s Heritage Unit will once again have over 1,000 trees on offer this year. The likely species include Common and Silver Birch, Oak, Rowan, Alder, Scots Pine, and Hazel and will be available in bundles of 5 or 10. These are on a first come first served basis and people are encouraged to contact the Heritage Unit early to avoid disappointment.
To be part of National Tree Week, community groups, organisations and schools are invited to organise or participate in events throughout the week. As well as tree planting, the range of events can include forest and woodland walks, nature trails, workshops, woodturning displays, talks, poetry readings, exhibitions, dramas or any other ideas that will celebrate the fascinating world of trees.
Trees will be available for collection from Cork County Hall or at a select number of Cork County Council premises around the county. Pick-up locations and allocations will be confirmed with each participating group, and all requests must be submitted by emailing [email protected] by Friday the 28th of February 2025.
More information on National Tree Week is available by visiting www.nationaltreeweek.ie