Planting day at Bishop of Rochester Academy
December 2012
Chatham school, The Bishop of Rochester Academy, was visited by representatives of Kent based construction company RG Group to help plant trees in the school grounds. Pupils, staff and representatives of RG Group helped to plant the saplings as part of a new hedgerow. The trees are all native British species such as Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Field Maple, Guelder Rose, Spindle and Crab Apple, all grown in England from collected seed.
To help with the planting the students of The Bishop of Rochester Academy were joined by pupils from two of their feeder schools; All Saints C of E Junior School and Phoenix Primary Academy.
The Bishop of Rochester Academy is a Church of England school where everyone works and learns within its caring and supportive Christian ethos. The Academy opened in September 2010 and has a community of around 1,200 students plus a growing sixth form. The new hedgerows being planted today will provide a perfect habitat for wildlife, promoting biodiversity and preserving the natural environment.
Mr Colin Boxall, Principal of the Bishop of Rochester Academy, said, "We are very grateful for the generous donation of these plants by RG Group, and the support of Tree Appeal in planting them. It is an exciting time for us here at the Academy as we await the completion of our New Building. It was brilliant to see Students not only from our own school but also from two of our major feeder primaries, playing their part in preparing the site for next Spring".
RG Group has teamed up with Carbon Footprint as part of their carbon management programme and with Tree Appeal, planting native broadleaf trees in schools. RG Group are sponsoring the planting of more than 800 trees at Bishop of Rochester Academy, demonstrating their commitment to environmental education and their aim of reducing their impact on the natural world.
Mick Mullarkey, Director for Sustainability at RG Group said, “It is amazing that a journey to offset the carbon emissions of a construction company could lead us to watching the children of Kent planting trees in a local school. We would like to thank Tree Appeal and the Bishop of Rochester Academy for making it a rewarding journey.”