CHILDREN in Newport schools are doing their bit for the environment - by planting trees.

To celebrate National Tree Week, which began on November 26, pupils at Gaer Junior School, pictured, planted 12 large trees and around 600 saplings.

The school received a grant of £500 from the Tree Council, along with £250 from the local authority to help fund this scheme.

Mary Watkins, class teacher and Eco-schools coordinator, said: "We have a woodland behind the back of the school which we planted four years ago to celebrate the Millennium. As many of the children who helped plant those trees have now left the school we thought it would be nice to give the younger children a chance to contribute.

"All the children from the school were invited, including those coming up from infant school next year, along with governers, teachers, and everyone else who works at the school."

Gaer Junior School is the only school in Newport to hold the prestigious Eco-Green Flag for enviromental achievement, and is one of only 60 schools in Wales to have this honour.

Bettws High School and Caerleon Comprehensive School, with the help of a grant from the Tree Council, are both planting around 10 relatively mature trees on their school grounds, including larch, cherry, poplar, birch and eucalyptus.

More than 157 schools and 51 community groups are sharing grants totalling more than £68,000.