New funding to plant trees in communities across the country in honour of the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth has been announced by Forestry Minister Trudy Harrison.
Defra will provide lead delivery partners of The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) with half a million pounds in funding to plant trees in communities across the country in honour of the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.
As part of the national tree planting initiative in Her Majesty’s name – The Queen’s Green Canopy – funding of £499,000 will be provided for a special programme of planting to be delivered by QGC Partners including Trees for Cities, The Tree Council, The Conservation Volunteers and Earthwatch.
Working in cooperation with local authorities and communities, the funding will enable thousands of trees to be planted in over 60 locations across England, engaging communities that have limited access to nature and green spaces.
The projects include:
- The Tree Council will plant 69,000 whips to create 14km of hedgerow in up to 50 locations, which will be chosen to increase biodiversity, local nature recovery and future flood alleviation;
- Trees for Cites will extend their “Forgotten Places” programme across five areas that are nature-deprived, planting a total of over 5,000 trees;
- Earthwatch will plant 1,800 trees to create three “Tiny Forests” in urban areas with low woodland cover. A Tiny Forest is a dense, fast-growing native woodland the size of a tennis court;
- The Conservation Volunteers will plant 1,500 saplings and propagate native species, including 2,500 Oak acorns, in their nursery for planting in the future.
Forestry Minister Trudy Harrison said:
“The Queen’s Green Canopy is a fitting tribute to the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. Trees are at the heart of our communities and today’s funding will ensure that thousands more trees are planted across the country in her honour.”
Forestry Commission chair Sir William Worsley said:
“Healthy and productive trees play a vital role in tackling climate change and protecting biodiversity.
“They also make our towns and cities healthier, from improving air quality to providing mental health benefits, enriching the quality of life for people from all socio-economic backgrounds.
“This network of trees will provide continue to provide benefits to local communities as a lasting tribute to Her Majesty’s extraordinary service to her country and her people.”
