National Tree Week 2014 sponsored by SSE Airtricity is now in full swing, after being launched in Co. Wicklow yesterday by the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Tom Hayes.
At a free, family day held at Powerscourt Estate in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, Minister Hayes was joined for a tree planting ceremony by school children from the nearby Powerscourt National School. 2,000 free trees were also given out to members of the public who attended the event this afternoon.
Over the course of the week-long festival, which runs from today until March 8, more than 100 entertaining and educational tree-related events will take place in every county throughout the country to celebrate the positive impact that trees have on our lives.
Speaking at the planting Minister Hayes said, "National Tree Week is important in promoting a greater awareness of role that trees play in our lives. It's particularly important to have young people and especially our school children involved in activities such as National Tree Week. This week-long annual celebration promotes a greater awareness among future generations of our environment and especially our woodlands, and encourages people to get out in the fresh air and to appreciate the beauty of the trees around us."
Brendan Fitzsimons, Executive Director of the Tree Council of Ireland said, “This year’s theme is ‘The Sound of Trees’. We hope to improve people’s awareness and understanding of the variety of sounds heard in our woodlands and also to sample music produced by some of the wonderful musical instruments made of wood worldwide.”
Jillian Saunders, Sponsorship Manager of SSE Airtricity said, “As Ireland’s greenest home energy provider we’re proud to support National Tree Week 2014. Since 2008, we’ve invested over €2 billion or €1 million every day into cleaner, greener and more sustainable energy generation inIreland. That’s why working with the Tree Council of Ireland to support and promote National Tree Week, and to encourage greater appreciation and understanding of our natural environment, is so important to us.”
Coillte are a partner with the Tree Council in National Tree Week in organising events and supplying the trees for planting by community groups and schools across the country. Gerard Murphy, Managing Director of Coillte Forest, said “We’re delighted to have supported National Tree Week for over twenty years now. The events organised celebrate the wide range of environmental, social and economic values that trees provide to our society. National Tree Week's message of planting trees and regenerating forests has never been more relevant than today after recent storm damage led to the loss of significant number of trees, many of which were majestic oak and beech trees that graced our landscape for over 100 years."