TAVISTOCK College students are helping to save local fruit tree varieties from extinction by planting apple trees in the school grounds.

Year 8 students planted their 'Odyssey Orchard' in a special ceremony with town mayor Mandy Govier.

Sally Hubbard, head of Year 8, said: 'The Tamar Valley used to be full of fruit farms and orchards but many are now gone.

'The old species of apple trees are in danger of dying out, so we made a bid to the Tree Council to help us create an orchard composed of ancient Tamar Valley varieties of apple tree, with wonderful names like "Sops in Wine", "Tamar Beauty" and "Cornish Pine".

'Our bid – compiled by parent and governor Graham Coiley — was accepted and brought in community money.

'We are grateful for help from Endsleigh Nurseries for their expertise and provision of these ancient types of tree; West Devon Borough Council for providing money for benches; and the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) for funding a Morwellham Quay trip and providing moral support.'

The students planted 22 trees — two for each tutor group — along with around 1,000 daffodil bulbs, funded by the Parent Teacher Association. The students will care for their own trees and harvest the apples for use in the refectory and to be eaten by the tutor groups which have tended them.

The orchard was planted behind the college's tennis courts in a secluded, spot, close to the canal. A time capsule containing the names of everyone in the year group and a plan of the orchard was buried among the trees.

Mr Coiley said: 'It's been fantastic and the kids have been brilliant. I think every one of them has dug and composted which is what we wanted to achieve so it was highly successful.' 

Student Cassian Bennett said: 'It was fun because we've never really done anything like this before. There are lots of old varieties of apples with really cool names; we never knew there were so many.

'We can tell all the other children who come here in future years that we planted them.'

Isabel Stuart said: 'I really like the idea that it's the year 8 orchard because it's ours and special. These trees are endangered so we've learned how important they are to the Tamar Valley and the environment and we know we're making a difference.'