Trees planted at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh to boost staff wellbeing during Covid-19 pandemic

The eco-friendly search engine Ecosia has planted 500 trees at the Capital’s biggest hospital.

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This is the second time Ecosia, with the help of Trees for Cities and Edinburgh and Lothian Greenspace Trust (ELGT) have planted trees near The Royal Infirmary.

In March this year, the company planted an initial 500 trees, also at Hunters Hall Park, which were dedicated to NHS staff as a living monument and a gesture of thanks from the general public for their efforts fighting Covid-19.

The trees will increase biodiversity and access to local wildlife, as well as remove CO2 from the atmosphere and improve overall air quality around the hospital, which was recently the first hospital to be awarded a Keep Scotland Beautiful Green Flag Award acknowledging that green spaces help to boost health and wellbeing.

Ecosia’s UK Country Manager, Sophie Dembinski said: “The #GrowYourLove campaign initially came out of a desire to show support and appreciation to NHS staff during the first Covid-19 lockdown.

“But significant pressures remain on the NHS long after the lockdowns have ended, with NHS workers continuing to work tirelessly to treat thousands who have been waiting months for medical treatment. For many local communities access to nature and clean air particularly around UK hospitals is a real problem.

“Covid 19 highlighted the crucial links between the health of the planet and our collective wellbeing, and the talks at COP26 in Glasgow only reinforce this. We hope that the trees planted near the Royal Infirmary during COP26 will help provide a space for rest and relaxation for generations of NHS workers.”

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