Students get hands-on with trees on farms

Posted 05 June 2025

Plantation planning On-farm benefits Carbon benefits PFT Tree Alliance

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Launceston Church Grammar School Year 10 Agriculture students stepped out of the classroom and into the paddock for a hands-on learning experience about the benefits of integrating trees into farming landscapes.

Hosted by Private Forests Tasmania (PFT) in collaboration with the Forest Education Foundation and Campbell Town farmer John Taylor, the session offered students a rare chance to witness first-hand the value trees bring to farms - beyond just timber.

The day began with a walk through a three-year-old radiata pine shelterbelt, where PFT Forestry Specialist Dion McKenzie and John discussed the shelterbelt’s role in erosion control, animal welfare, and boosting overall farm productivity.

John also shared the challenges he faced in establishing the trees and the positive changes he is already seeing.

“John chose to plant trees for the future, even though he won’t get to use the money they make - it’s for his children,” student Chloe said.

At a second location, students took measurements of tree heights and diameters to estimate the carbon stored in approximately 20-year-old plantation trees.
“Putting numbers (kilograms of carbon) to individual trees was a real eye-opener and got students thinking about how much one tree stores versus how much carbon can be stored across a farm in plantation stands,” Dion said.

Student Tommy noted the environmental benefits: “The trees helped lower the water table, making the ground less salty for pasture and trees to grow better.”

“The higher the density of the wood, the more carbon it holds - eucalypts versus the pine trees.”

The practical fieldwork sparked engaging conversations about carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and how strategic planting benefits not only livestock and crops but entire landscapes.

Forest Education Foundation Manager Darcy Vickers said students also gained insight into the wide range of careers available in forestry - many of which they hadn’t considered before.

“Having Dion available to work with the students brought valuable professional insight to the day. His personal agriculture story really resonated with the students and helped them connect the science with real-world outcomes,” Darcy said.

“We hoped to connect the dots between trees, productivity and future land use in 90 minutes - and I think we achieved that.

“It’s clear they came away with a better understanding of how forestry and agriculture work together - and that there’s a place for them in the future of both.”

Grammar teacher Tanya Beaumont said student feedback echoed the value of learning in a real-world context.

“They didn’t know that forestry had lots of different jobs and that they can work in many areas, not just in planting or harvesting trees,” Tanya said.

“The systems are linked, and the wool and tree products benefit each other.

“The students got more from learning in the paddock than if I had presented the same material to them in the classroom.”