UCC to be used as a 'living classroom' in tree education project

The university's Tree Explorers project is one of 49 schemes nationally set to share €5.2m in Science Foundation Ireland funding

Dr Eoin Lettice leading a tour of UCC's tree collection

University College Cork’s magnificent tree collection is to be used as a “living classroom” to promote the wonder of science and nature to a wider audience.

The university's new Tree Explorers project is among 49 initiatives countrywide which are set to benefit from a €5.2m Science Foundation Ireland fund for education and engagement to improve public understanding of science, technology, engineering, and maths (Stem).

The announcement comes at the start of National Tree Week, which will be marked at UCC with a virtual tour of its tree collection on Wednesday.

UCC’s arboretum dates from the foundation of the university as Queen’s College Cork in 1845.

It boasts some 2,500 trees across 120 different species, ranging from native Irish and British trees to American, Asian, Australian and European specimens.

Some of its most magnificent specimens include a pair of 150-year-old giant redwoods, an Irish champion wing nut tree, which is native to the Caucasus, and a collection of mature pines including Scots, Monterey and Bhutan pines.

Huge demand

There was huge demand for the first formal public tree tours, which were launched in late 2019. 

One of the Tree Explorers project leads Dr Eoin Lettice said the SFI funding means they can make sure that as many people as possible can experience the tree collection.

A primary school element has been created with teachers in three city Deis schools, in communities at risk of disadvantage and social exclusion, while the adult element will include tree tours, workshops and public talks, with new educational materials, a self-guided map and a series of videos set to be produced.

UCC’s arboretum dates from the foundation of the university as Queen’s College Cork in 1845 and boasts some 2,500 trees across 120 different species.

“Engaging audiences with such living scientific collections has been shown to have significantly positive effects on educational attainment, mental and physical health, attitudes and knowledge of Stem subjects and careers, as well as willingness to engage in dealing with global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss,” Dr Lettice said.

Importance of nature

Project co-lead Dr Barbara Doyle Prestwich said the pandemic has further highlighted the importance of nature in our mental wellbeing and has reinforced the importance of preserving our biodiversity.

“Plants are critical to the survival of the human species, not just through the oxygen they produce, but also as key sources of medicine, food, shelter, cosmetics and more,” she said.

“The arboretum at UCC, through the Tree Explorers project, will serve as our living breathing, classroom, with the iconic trees at the centre of the learning process.”