CHILDREN were among 60 volunteers who have been getting muddy turning out in the rain to plant thousands of trees in London’s East End. The kids, of course, were glad of an excuse to get time out of the classroom, especially wallowing in lots of cool’ mud

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CHILDREN were among 60 volunteers who have been getting muddy turning out in the rain to plant thousands of trees in London's East End.

The kids, of course, were glad of an excuse to get time out of the classroom, especially wallowing in lots of 'cool' mud.

They want to encourage wildlife in the heart of the densely urban landscape just 10 minutes from the Tower of London.

So 60 people including many neighbourhood children joined volunteers from the Trees for Cities charity planting saplings, despite heavy rain and muddy ground, off Cable Street in Shadwell, overlooked by concrete tower blocks of flats.

Children from two classes at nearby St Paul's Primary were out planting trees. The charity hopes to have 2,500 saplings rooted in by the end of the week.

"We had no shortage of volunteers turning up in the rain," said the charity's youth education manager Anna Kitteringham.

"One eight-year-old girl called Millie managed to plant 14 trees. But she was wearing a white coat which got completely covered in mud."

The charity is creating a woodland with a mix of local and native species such as rowan, hawthorn, silver birch, hazel and holly. This will attract birds and wildlife and hopefully create a restful and educational place for East Enders to escape the daily pressures of urban life.