ONE THIRD OF children in Ireland have never climbed a tree, according to a new survey.

Source: ESB

The Red C poll also found that almost half of children (48%) spend more time in front of a screen than outdoors, and one in ten have never visited a forest or wooded area.

The survey of just over 1,000 people was carried out to mark ESB Tree Week, which will see hundreds of event taking place throughout the country from 6-13 March.

Eight in ten survey respondents said that walking through a forest was good for their mental health and had a calming effect on them.

Pat O’Doherty of ESB said the goal of Tree Week is to encourage people to take time to appreciate trees, “either by learning about them, planting them or just simply getting out into the fresh air to enjoy them”.

More information on Tree Week – which is organised in conjunction with the Tree Council of Ireland and Coillte – can be found here.