GREEN-fingered youngsters got their hands dirty when they planted holly trees at their school.

Pupils from St John’s CE Primary in Farnworth, joined children from across the UK in the Woodland Trust’s Tree For All campaign.

Nearly 14,000 trees have been planted in Lancashire this month by schools, scouts, guides and youth groups.

Paul Bunton, of the Woodland Trust, said: “Because of modern lifestyles, many children grow up with little connection with the natural environment.

“We want to encourage young people to have contact with nature, increase their understanding and enjoyment of woodland and send out the message that we need to conserve the hedgerows and woods we have left and replace the ones we have destroyed.”

Since the launch of the scheme in 2004, children in Lancashire have contributed to 128 miles of new hedgerows in the UK and more than five million trees across the country.