Tree for every child's garden

Roscommon is the first county picked to develop the idea.

Variety has teamed up with Roscommon native and international building developer Sean Mulryan, Roscommon County Council and the Federation of Group Water Schemes to unveil the'I've planted a tree and my garden is pesticide free' campaign.

As part of the campaign every primary schoolchild in Co. Roscommon will be given a native Irish tree to plant in their garden at home.

Variety Ireland's Head of Programmes Kevin O'Brien hopes the initiative will spread.

"We hope it will inspire young children to be mindful about their local environment," he explained.

"As a voluntary run Irish charity we are committed to helping children with disabilities across the county and are delighted to be involved in such a creative initiative with Sean Mulryan and Ballymore. "The work that The Federation of Group Water Schemes and Roscommon County Council have done in putting this programme together is simply incredible.

"It actively allows for children to be physically involved in planting a tree which they can watch grow as they grow."

He added: "As one of the oldest children's charities in Ireland, another aspect of our charity work here at Variety Ireland is to help educate and engage children in environmental activities, regardless of their ability, which in turn will help them to become more environmentally aware and sustainable in their local environment."

Sean Mulryan, chairman and group CEO of Ballymore, explains: 'We take sustainability and biodiversity seriously on all our projects and I'm thrilled to be a part of this.

"It's a fantastic idea that will make a big impact on the education of children and on the future of Roscommon. Initiatives like this spark young people's curiosity and help to get them involved in safeguarding our planet's future.'

Schoolchildren across the county of Roscommon will plant 7,500 native trees this autumn as part of an eco-initiative to help protect local water sources, enhance biodiversity and capture carbon.

The community initiative, which is being launched as part of Rural Water Week, is also intended to inspire the next generation and their families to think about sustainability.