Tree week events cancelled in Donegal and elsewhere because of Covid-19

National Tree Week is the latest event to fall victim to the coronavirus. 

Run by Coillte and the National Tree Council, the nationwide event had been due to take place from Saturday, March 21 to Friday, March 27.

However, Coillte in partnership with the Tree Council of Ireland made the decision to postpone National Tree Week 2020 and all related public events until further notice. This came as a result of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's announcement on Thursday regarding the cancellation of gatherings of over 100 people.

A spokesperson said: "We understand this will disappoint many people who had arranged Tree Week planting events around the country, but we must prioritise the health and wellbeing of our communities."

Coillte had planned to donate 30,000 native trees for planting during National Tree Week. Over the last month, schools, companies and communities have been registering their Tree Week event with the National Tree Council.

The theme for this year’s National Tree Week was to be ‘Health Trees Healthy Planet.’ It was chosen to promote tree health and the important role trees play in protecting the planet by taking on climate change and providing natural renewable resources.
It also references the health benefits, both physical and mental health that trees and forests provide.

The many people in Donegal who had planned events are hoping that National Tree Week will be held later in the year. People can visit www.treecouncil.ie or www.coillte.ie for more information.

In the meantime, people can still get out and enjoy the emotional and physical benefits of Donegal's forests and woodland trails. More information can be found at www.coillte.ie