National Tree Week is an annual, week-long festival celebrating all positive aspects of trees in our lives and environment. It is organised by the Tree Council of Ireland with the support of Coillte. National Tree Week takes place from 3-10 March 2013. The theme is ‘A Feast of Trees'. With this theme, we are asking people to recognise and celebrate the role of trees in providing food for humans, birds, bees and other wildlife. The range of foods from trees - fruit, nuts, seeds, oils, leaves, roots and bark will be highlighted along with the relationship between trees, bees, pollination, and food crop production.

The primary aim of National Tree Week is to encourage people to plant more trees and the emphasis in 2013 will be on planting trees that provide a food source for humans, birds, bees and other wildlife.

Louth County Council will be distributing bare root saplings to community groups, voluntary groups, schools, etc. to mark the occasion. These include beech, rowan, alder and oak.

If you would like some of these saplings, please contact Paul Kneel, Environment Office, Louth County Council at paul.kneel@louthcoco.ie to register your interest.

The saplings will be distributed on Monday March 4th 2013 at Ardee Area Office from 10am – 1pm only.