CALLS for a National Tree Planting Day have been backed in Glasgow – including by the city’s tree-loving society.

Glasgow City Council has welcomed the creation of a National Tree Planting Day in Scotland to tackle the city’s “biodiversity emergency”.

Monica Lennon, Labour MSP for Central Scotland, is calling on First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to dedicate one day a year to planting trees – an idea which came from the Children’s Parliament, a charity encouraging kids to engage in shaping Scotland’s future.

Lennon said: “Glasgow is a ‘Dear Green Place’ and I know Glaswegians would make a special contribution to a National Tree Planting Day, helping the city’s parks and greenspaces to grow and thrive for many years to come.

“The children involved in Scotland’s Climate Assembly want the air we breathe and the places we live, walk and work, protected for generations to come.

“A National Tree Planting Day for Scotland, where everyone has the opportunity to plant a tree, is a brilliant idea and I hope the Scottish Government will make it happen.”

She added: “During the pandemic, many of us have come to appreciate nature, parks and woodlands even more, so we must all play our part to address the challenges of the climate and nature emergencies.”

A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: "Tree planting is a crucial part of our climate action plan and, also, our efforts to address the emergency facing the city's biodiversity.

"There are numerous tree planting projects that are taking place across the city, and we are seeing increasing interest in tree growing all the time.

"We welcome any measure that highlights the importance of tree planting and helps with the effort to extend our tree canopy cover."

The Glasgow Tree Lovers’ Society (GTLS), established in 1933 as the city’s horticultural charity, is keen to see the day recognised.

Stephen Docherty, the president of the GTLS, said a National Tree Planting Day is a “good idea” and claimed an annual commitment to planting trees would help offset Glasgows’s carbon emissions.

“The value of mature trees is so important for carbon capture helping to mitigate the effects of climate change.

“Glasgow City Council planners and developers are slow at taking this onboard. The COP26 United Nations Conference in Glasgow has not produced the desired investment in Glasgow's Parks and Greenspaces.

“We need to plant more mature trees in parks and greenspaces as well as our streetscapes: Glasgow City Council has planted very young nursery transplants in empty greenspaces which is good, but unfortunately, they will take 50 years or more to do anything.”