Leitrim group joins outcry against forestry ‘propaganda’ book in schools
Save Leitrim join calls for balance in education forestry in schools after ‘propaganda’ book handed out in schools
A Leitrim environmental group has joined national organisations in criticism of a ‘misleading’ children's book being distributed to primary schools, which they call an attempt to ‘brainwash’ students.
The children’s book, 'Sitka Spruce – the Amazing Timber Tree', was originally written and distributed in Britain and was funded by industry actors such as the Society of Irish Foresters, the Irish Timber Council, and the Social, Economic, Environmental Forestry Association (SEEFA).
“It's written as a love story to the Sitka spruce,” said Brian Smith, spokesperson for the Save Leitrim environmental group, who described the book as “pure propaganda.”
“If there was a balance in that about native trees, native woodlands, fine. You can talk about trees that way, but it's way over the top about Sitka spruce and Sitka spruce only.”
The Department of Education has distanced itself from the book, as the Irish Wildlife Trust calls for more balanced education on these topics in schools.
“In the context of the global biodiversity crisis, the IWT urges the department to provide schoolchildren with educational materials which offer a more balanced understanding of Ireland’s biodiversity, native ecosystems and the pressures they face,” the organisation said.
The narrative of the book is from the point of view of a Sitka spruce tree and paints a positive ecological picture as a result of this type of forestry farming, though according to experts and environmental groups, this is not the case.
The use of the tree, used habitually in industrial forestry, leads to a loss in biological diversity along with “ecological simplification, including reduced habitat diversity, impacts on water quality in sensitive catchments, and displacement of potential native woodland restoration,” according to the IWT.
Several campaigns for greater restrictions on the use of Sitka spruce and stronger forestry regulations have been led by groups like Save Leitrim in recent years.
Around 20% of Leitrim was covered in forestry in 2023, according to a Forestry Statistics Ireland report, though that is higher with new forestry licences having been granted in the county this year.
Meanwhile, the damage caused by trees planted near powerlines was brought to national attention last year following Storm Darragh and Storm Eowyn.
The book was launched as part of a campaign to rehabilitate Sikka Spruce's image in the country, following efforts by environmental groups to draw attention to the damage caused by the trees' overuse.
It stresses that these concerns have been addressed with current regulations requiring at least 20 per cent of new plantations to be broadleaf trees, while a further 15 per cent is to be used for biodiversity enhancement.
“It goes to show what's driving the industry, that it's timber, that it's investor interests, and that it's the Sitka spruce that nothing else is really driving the forestry industry,” said Smith.
The book also received a foreword from then-Minister for Forestry Michael Healy Rae, who recently resigned before a vote of confidence in the Dáil.
The ex-minister is the owner of over 40 acres of commercial forestry, according to the register of Interests of members of Dáil Eireann in 2024.