SMCS Activity 5 – Tree Inventory

Around 100 Grade 7 students together with teachers, LSE's and SLT members were involved in cataloguing all the trees at Stella Maris College premises. In collaboration with the Research Innovation Unit, a specialised unit of the Gzira Local Council, the students were encouraged to reflect on how trees could impact the carbon emissions and heat resulting from urban areas. The exercise involved students determining the different types of trees, measuring their trunk diameter to determine their age and photographing the trees' height using a special grid.

Data from this exercise will help researchers determine how trees can help impact heat and carbon sequestration within the area. The project was directed by Mr Fabian Borg together with his team and was funded by the JUSTNature project which is a part of the European Commission's (EC) Horizon 2000 programme. The event was attended by the President of the Eastern Regional Council, Mr Anthony Chircop and by the Mayor of Gzira, Mr Conrad Borg Manché.

Stella Maris was the first school to embark on such an endeavour. The data from this project will also be valuable to students, especially those studying science to observe the impact of trees on modern lifestyle.