Here’s to the continued success of our million tree project!
Here is the programme for the film launch for those who couldn’t make it!
Welcome to the launch by Minister for Education and Skills Richard Bruton T.D.’s of the “Irish Tree Trail”.

We are honoured to have you here today in St. Laurence School to mark the beginning of National Tree Week. We are so grateful to all who have worked so hard and provided us with so much support and such valuable sponsorship in this and all of our related tree projects.  Go raibh mile maith agaibh go léir. 
We hope you enjoy learning from Éanna as much as we did; the background to this series is that we planted a Tiny Forest in the Senior School 18 years ago; the trees are now taller than the school. We love it so much we kept going and are now on our fifth plantation – we have run out of space; in January we planted 300 trees in our local park with UN-sponsored Plant-for-the-Planet , with help from delegations of children from the UK, the US and five local schools in Ireland’s first Tree Academy. We wanted to help other children plant Native Trees but first we needed to know what they were. So now we can get on with the work; the challenge from the 9-year old Felix was to plant a million trees by 2020 to address climate change. Germany did it in 3 years and matched them in Mexico, we think we can too. We are also sponsoring equivalent plantations in the Global South. Here is a little poem to explain what we are doing. 
Mother Earth is Like a Dolly, by the Green Committee, St. Laurence School
Orla had a dolly who was sick, sick, sick.
So she called for the doctor to be quick, quick, quick.
The doctor came with his bag and his hat
And he knocked at the door with a rat-a-tat-tat.
He looked at the dolly and he shook his head
He said “Take that heavy blanket off the bed!”
Wet a sponge for her hair because she’s ill, ill, ill
“When she’s cool, she’ll get better, yes she will, will, will.”
Mother Earth is like a dolly who is sick, sick, sick,
So we called the Consultants to be quick, quick, quick.
The Team took the temperature, they checked the chart.
They said “Our opinion is; Be Quick – Act Smart!”
The sea is rising and there’s melting ice.
There’s drought and flooding and it’s just not nice!
Smoke traps the sunshine and the dirty air
Is ruining all the atmosphere, it’s just not fair!
It’s hot under blankets that are made of Gas
But Tree technology is just First Class!
Do we want to live in deserts or a pool, pool , pool?
Forestry’s the sponge to make us cool,  cool. cool!
“But we’re the Emerald Isle we said, as green as green can be!
Sure Ireland is the greenest place on earth, you see. “
Good news for us and bad news; to sing a different tune,
“Irlande; First at growing!
But for Forests; Wooden Spoon! “
So we all got planting in our little school.
We measured out some playground with a metre rule.
We each dug a hole for a native tree.
Soon there was a little home for birds and bees.
They need homes as well as us, it’s nice to share.
Mother Nature minds it all, it’s in her care.
Some people aren’t that lucky but they love trees too.
They’re short of food and things and money, it is true.

We knew they’d plant a WildAREness if they had trees.
So we sent them off some money and said “Join us please.”
They planted lovely flowers, plants and trees growing fruit.
Soon the rains will come and they will need swimsuits.
So every school around the world, first plant one tree
Then a little Forest Are for you and me.
A thousand billion trees! We’ll keep the score, score, score!
We love our WildAREness, so we want more, more, more

Our film guide to the 28 native trees of Ireland will be available from today from The Tree Council of Ireland’s website, treecouncil.ie  and our Green Schools’ Tree Project website, easytreesie.com.  
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