“Adopt a tree!” says a Jack Petchey Environmental Winner

We are all about young people inspiring others – especially when it comes to protecting the environment! We have awarded over 140 Jack Petchey Environmental Awards to recognise young people positively impacting the environment around them, like Kea, who was awarded her Environmental Award for helping at her school’s gardening club, organising local plant donations and planting trees in the local community.

We asked Kea for her top tips on protecting and promoting the local environment, and here’s what she said…

Hi my name is Kea D’Silva, I live in Isleworth. I have always been concerned about protecting and preserving the natural environment. I believe if we want to preserve the best of nature for generations to come we need to act now by making changes. I feel a clean environment is vital for healthy sustainable living. If we continue the way we are, our planet and environment will become more polluted with contaminants and toxins that have a harmful impact on our health. Air pollution can cause respiratory diseases, cancer and other problems. I guess what really fascinates me is that plants and trees filtrate the air we breath, so I feel it’s so important to sustain and preserve what we have and also to plant for generations to come.

With the above in mind, I decided to adopt a tree within my local community. The tree is newly planted and I hope to look after it so it can grow into a mature tree and contribute directly to the environment by providing oxygen and improving the air quality. It also directly impacts the ecosystem. The local council take care of watering the tree but every so often I get an email alert when the weather has been particularly hot to water the tree, as it could do with a little more in order to survive until it’s mature.

My grandparents inspire me to look after the environment, they are from a generation that did not waste anything and always found sustainable ways of living. They are always teaching me how I can make a difference to my future. Contact your local council to find out more information on how to adopt a tree in your area. There are also many charities like the Woodland trust, that you can support to protect our environment.

If more people adopted a tree or planted a tree within their local communities, we would be naturally purifying the air around us and fighting diseases. We would be doing our bit for the environment and for generations to come!

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog !

Thank you Kea for your inspiring words! To find out more how to adopt a tree, contact your local council or click this link and scroll below to find out how it works!