As part of a new programme in the UK, dubbed Fruit-Full Schools, traditional orchards are being planted on school grounds in an effort to boost the numbers of these endangered habitats.
The programme aims to support environmental sustainability, develop community engagement and demonstrate the benefits of locally grown produce.
Fruit-Full Schools has been developed by national charity Learning Through Landscapes in partnership with orchard experts Garden Organic and Common Ground, and is a response to the decline in British orchards.
'Since the 1950s, England has lost over 60 per cent of its orchards and, with 69 per cent of apples being imported from other countries, traditional orchards are being lost at an alarming rate,' the charity said in a press release.
Martin Crabbe, a teacher at Glebe School in Bromley, London, commented: 'The Fruit-full Schools project has already had a great impact on the students. We’ve looked at food miles, supply chains and the impact of climate change and they’ve been amazed by the sheer number of local varieties. Its been a brilliant way of rousing their curiosity about Bromley’s food history and what makes this part of London so distinct.”
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