Schools Tree Day (Friday, July 25) has been a dedicated day on the environmental calendar as part of National Tree Day, which has seen Australian communities plant more than 28 million trees since it inception in 1996.
But it’s more than just an environmental initiative – it’s an opportunity to support student learning in a meaningful and engaging way, according to the organisation’s CEO, Rebecca Gilling.
“Outdoor learning has been proven to boost students’ cognitive and emotional development and Schools Tree Day provides the perfect chance for educators to integrate nature into their curriculum, helping students connect with their environment while improving their overall wellbeing,” Gilling says.
Schools Tree Day has seen thousands of schools across the country take part, fostering a generation of environmentally conscious students.
Jennifer McMillan, communications manager at Planet Ark, says the non-profit environmental organisation wanted to create an opportunity for young people to actively contribute to help their local environment, but also gain that social, emotional and educational benefit of outdoor learning.
“The idea behind Schools Tree Day grew from a simple but powerful belief that children thrive when they connect with nature, and that hands-on environmental learning can spark a lifelong commitment to caring for the natural world,” McMillan tells EducationHQ.
She says learning in and about nature helps students build curiosity, critical thinking and a sense of connection to the world around them.
“It also fosters environmental literacy, but also strengthens wellbeing, engagement and teamwork,” she says.
“In a time where young people face unprecedented stress in their lives, nature provides balance.
“Connection to the natural world can also provide a balm to eco-anxiety that an increasing amount of young people feel.”
Jennifer McMillan, pictured above, says Planet Ark would love to see school leaders prioritising outdoor place-based learning and using environmental initiatives like Schools Tree Day to bring science, sustainability and community connection to life.
Every Schools Tree Day event is unique, with more than a thousand held all over Australia, but usually schools will engage in planting projects that are specific to their area.
“So, we have schools who plant wildlife corridors to help native wildlife, or Miyawaki forests (dense, biodiverse forests designed to thrive in small urban areas) in small patches of unused land, or native edible gardens,” McMillan shares.
Planet Ark also provides free resources, including curriculum-aligned activities, that help teachers plan their event, whether that’s planting in the schoolyard, restoring habitat or learning about native species in the classroom.
Like many things, Schools Tree Day has been crippled by the ongoing effects of COVID.
While there are about 10,000 schools in Australia, in the last few years only about 10 per cent have been registering for Schools Tree Day.
“We’ve struggled since COVID getting our numbers back up,” McMillan admits.
“We’re trying to engage more, but it’s challenging because teachers are under-resourced and overworked – so running an event like this, it does take a bit of effort.
“We really want to try and get more and more registering, and it doesn’t have to be a huge event, it can just be planting one tree. It’s still getting the kids outside.”
McMillan says it’s ‘really easy’ for schools to get involved – all they have to do is go to the website and register an event.
At the moment there’s also a grants program open with Planet Ark Seedling Bank which aims to supply native seedlings to schools and community groups.
“We had a response from the community saying they really wanted to get involved, but they couldn’t fund their event,” McMillan says.
“So we’ve created this program to give as much funding to schools and community groups to encourage their involvement.”
The Seedling Bank is open until the end of April, and other resources are available to download for free from the National Tree Day toolkit.
Researchers from Western Sydney University have recently been lauding nature education, saying it can significantly improve students’ reading and mathematics, as well as enhance wellbeing and engagement.
Professor Tonia Gray, a senior researcher in eco-pedagogies at the university and co-author of several studies on nature-based education, says the current school system shows a marked shift towards indoor classrooms, which makes learning often sedentary, solo, and online.
“This has an adverse impact on childhood interpersonal skills, obesity and fitness levels, resilience, and self-regulation,” she says.
“Studies have repeatedly shown that nature play positively impacts children’s holistic health and wellbeing – whether it be physical, socio-emotional, or mental health.”
Fiona Pigott, a PhD candidate, says there are many benefits to nature play that complement traditional learning settings.
“Nature play nurtures not only physical strength and coordination but also confidence, empathy, and emotional resilience.”
McMillan says Planet Ark would love to see school leaders prioritising outdoor place-based learning and using environmental initiatives like Schools Tree Day to bring science, sustainability and community connection to life.
“We know there’s strong evidence that spending time in nature improves student wellbeing, both focus and creativity and fosters a sense of responsibility for the planet,” she says.
“And ultimately, we hope Schools Tree Day becomes more than a one-off event – it’s a chance to spark curiosity and build a culture of care for the environment that can grow across the school year.”
Educators, parents and students interested in taking part in Schools Tree Day can sign up, access educational resources, and share their experiences by clicking here.
