HUNDREDS of school pupils have helped boost efforts to reinvigorate a wood after collecting seeds from Smithills Estate.

The City of Trees project worked with over 400 pupils in seven different schools, planting 644 trees at a nearby wood.

It forms part of the Woodland Trust’s ongoing work on the estate.

The trust partnered with City of Trees — a movement looking to plant three million trees across Greater Manchester — to work with schools in the Bolton area, helping connect children to the trees, woods and wildlife on their doorstep.

The scheme started in October last year when pupils came onto the Smithills Estate to take part in seed gathering activities.

The foraged seeds were then taken back to school to grow in specially-provided growing kits, alongside the creation of tree nurseries to host the new saplings.

Russell Hedley, Smithills Communications Officer for the Woodland Trust, said: “A big part of the Smithills project is about the effect trees and woods can have to the wider environment.

“In this example, we are extremely proud of these future trees collected at Smithills as seeds. They will go on to provide habitats for wildlife, respite for the community and education for the next generation both at Lady Mabel’s Wood and at schools across the region.”

Some schools opted to keep the trees in their nursery to be used for outdoor education activities, while the rest were planted on-site at Lady Mabel’s Wood on the Wigan and Bolton border.

The project enabled many of the pupils to plant a tree for the first time, offering an invaluable opportunity for the children to access the outdoors and connect with the environment.

Beth Kelsall, from City of Trees, added: “The seed gathering was all about providing knowledge of where trees come from, enabling children to have a better understanding of the tree life cycle from seed to sapling.”

As part of the project, City of Trees also helped train school staff on how they could utilise the outdoors in their lessons.

Steeped in history, the 1,700 acre Smithills Estate is managed by the Woodland Trust, with long term plans to restore it, and create a sustainable landscape.

The charity plans to improve public access, double the number of trees and add visitor signs about the site’s industrial heritage.