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Air pollution: The Woodland Trust tells the government to plant more trees

kids running in playground with treesImage source, Getty Images
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Do you have trees in your school playground?

The Woodland Trust - a conservation charity - is asking the government to plant more trees across the UK.

It recommended planting more trees near schools, especially ones in cities and busy towns, to soak up air pollution.

The charity says that having trees nearby can really benefit your physical and mental health.

It says GPs agree that people need time in nature to look after their wellbeing.

How do trees help us?

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When trees grow, they go through a process called photosynthesis. They get their food from the sun, the soil and water - and they use carbon dioxide to do this.

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, which means while it sits in the atmosphere, it soaks up the Sun's heat, warming the planet up. This is what we call global warming.

Carbon dioxide is released when we burn fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and gas. Around the world, there are lots of projects to plant trees to combat global warming. You can read about some of them here and here.

Trees also release oxygen, which is an essential part of the air we breathe. They can also be home to lots of different birds, insects and lichen, which keep our environment happy and healthy.

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Some schools have lessons outdoors to get kids involved with nature

What is the Woodland Trust saying?

The Woodland Trust is asking politicians to think about planting more trees in the next few years, all across the UK.

The Trust developed an app which showed that people are less healthy in areas with less tree coverage. It said more trees are needed in urban areas - like cities or busy towns - and near schools.

They (trees) lock up carbon, fight the effects of climate change, improve our health and wellbeing and reduce pollution and flooding, protecting nature, people and our planet

— Dr Darren Moorcroft, Chief Executive, Woodland Trust
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Getting outside in nature can be lots of fun too - do you have woods near you?

It also said that GPs in the UK are interested in prescribing "time in nature" for people with certain mental or physical health difficulties.

Research has shown that spending some time in green spaces, like parks or forests, can be really good for our brains, as well as our bodies.