National Tree Day is organised annually on the first Thursday of October by the
Tree Council of Ireland and our partner SPAR.
Primary schools across the country are encouraged to dedicate a day to learning about trees and appreciating the planet we live on.
Each year, a different native Irish tree is featured as part of the campaign, which aims to highlight the important role trees play in our environment.
This event is enthusiastically supported by children, teachers, and parents, providing an opportunity to take a break from schoolwork and spend time outdoors.
The campaign's mascot, Sammy Squirrel, shares simple messages to help children understand that they can have a positive influence on the environment. They know they can give our planet and Mother Nature a helping hand by planting lots and lots of trees!
In line with this, our campaign website (treeday.ie) is making up to 2,000 native tree saplings available for primary schools around Ireland to plant on their grounds or in a pot in the classroom.
Hawthorn / Sceach gheal
Crataegus monogyna
The Hawthorn is one of my favourite trees! I love seeing its wonderful flowers bloom in May.​
SPAR NATIONAL TREE DAY!
My woodland friends love it too for the food and shelter it gives them
And then there is the magic of the hawthorn tree...click to learn more...
Visit our sister website get a FREE sapling for your school
How to take care of your sapling when it arrives...
Open the bag as soon as it arrives to let in some air.
Remove the sapling from the bag and dip the roots in water to moisten. But do not leave it sitting in the water.
The important thing is that the roots do not dry out. If the roots dry, the sapling will die.
Put the roots of the sapling back into the bag so as to retain the moisture until you are ready to plant.
Keep checking them daily.
If it going to be any longer than a week till planting, trench it into spare ground or put it into a pot until you have found its permanent home.
Do not disturb the sapling again until January when it can be removed and planted in its permanent location.
Using a spade, remove the grass or top sod from the soil. Dig a hole that is bigger than the size of the roots.
Place a layer of compost into the hole and then place the sapling on top. Ensure the stem of the tree is above the level of the ground.
Using your hands, crumble the soil and cover the roots. Gently compact the soil into place. Water slowly.
Water once a week until the frost arrives.
Then watch your sapling grow!
What to do on a Nature Walk...
Lift a fallen branch to see the number of insects that have made it their home.
Look around the base of the tree and see what is growing or what has fallen from the tree.
Gather interesting items like pinecones, bark and seeds.
Draw pictures or make leaf prints or take bark rubbings.
Note that different trees have different bark, stems, leaves, buds, fruits and flowers.
a. Some leaves are simple (one leaf on a stem) e.g. hazel, oak, birch, beech, maple, holly etc.
b. Some leaves are compound, many leaves on one stem e.g. Rowan, willow, ash, elder.
c. Some leaves are lobed eg. Sycamore.
Identify the different parts of the tree - trunk, bark, roots, leaves, branches, stem.
Check the differences between trees standing alone and trees in hedgerows.
Look at the different species of trees. Identify which are native to Ireland and which are not.