More than half a million new trees and 1,000 acres of woodland will be established across the UK thanks to a ground-breaking initiative to celebrate Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.
Conservation charity the Woodland Trust launched its ‘Platinum Woods’ scheme in 2022, a large-scale woodland creation opportunity for landowners taking part in The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC).
A nationwide tree-planting scheme created to mark the Platinum Jubilee, the QGC was extended until the end of March 2023 to give people an opportunity to plant trees in memoriam to honour Queen Elizabeth II.
The Trust has helped create a total of 14 life-giving Platinum Woods, including an honorary site in New Zealand, and more than 500,000 trees will be established through a combination of planting and natural regeneration.
Trust Central England regional director Toby Bancroft said The Queen’s Green Canopy initiative has been “inspirational”.
“In the face of the climate emergency and nature crisis, we have never needed trees more for all the benefits they deliver for people and wildlife,” he added. “It’s been so heartening to work with like-minded landowners to create more than 1,000 acres of new native woodland as a significant contribution to The Queen’s Green Canopy.”
Woodland Trust ambassador Jules Acton said: “The Queen’s Green Canopy has inspired people across the UK. Schools and communities planted their grounds with the Woodland Trust’s native tree packs, boosting nature and the wellbeing of local people. Landowners have played a vital role creating woodland at scale, linking up our landscape. That helps the UK’s nature become more resilient to the threats it faces. While the initiative is at an end, the inspiration goes on. Visit woodlandtrust.org.uk to see ways to connect with trees, woods and the natural world around us.”
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Posted On: 10/05/2023