In honour and loving memory of Her Majesty, The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) has marked the start of the official tree planting season in the United Kingdom with a poignant tree gifting ceremony at The Royal Hospital Chelsea in London on Monday 3rd October 2022.
A group of 20 inspiring organisations came together at the Royal Hospital Chelsea to be presented with a special tree in a pot embossed with Her Majesty’s cypher from the QGC “Tree of Trees” which stood tall as a message of hope, regeneration and optimism to the nation and the world as part of the Platinum Jubilee weekend celebrations.
The tree gifting ceremony in London is the first of many that will take place across the United Kingdom as the 350 trees which made up the “Tree of Trees” are presented to a diverse group of organisations by His Majesty The King’s Lord Lieutenants.
Selected by the Lord Mayor of the City of London, one recipient of a tree was Burnham Beeches, owned and managed by the City of London Corporation. The citation noted: “Burnham Beeches is renowned for its woodland ponds, varied habitats and grassland, ancient pollarded trees and coppices, with a strong volunteering network from the community, responsible for scrub clearance, fencing, helping with livestock, admin and getting involved with survey work.”
Ben Murphy, Chairman of the Epping Forest and Commons Committee at the City of London Corporation said:
“Burnham Beeches was bought by the City of London Corporation in 1880 to protect it as a public open space and wildlife reserve. It has been a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) since 1951, was declared a National Nature Reserve in 1993 and designated as a Special Area of Conservation in 2005. For many, this natural environment is critical to health and wellbeing for residents and visitors to Buckinghamshire. It also draws together communities which help protect its unique character for future generations to enjoy. It is such an hour to have been recognised as one of the 70 ancient woodlands in the Queen’s Green Canopy awards, but to also be a recipient of 1 of the 350 trees is another thread in Burnham Beeches’ long history”
Sir Nicholas Bacon, Chairman of The Queen’s Green Canopy said:
“We are proud to unveil this nationwide network of organisations chosen to become custodians of these special trees in Her Majesty’s name. In recognition of the positive impact that they have on their communities, the groups chosen to represent the very best of Britain. The Queen’s Green Canopy hopes the trees will serve as an inspiration for tree planting within communities and to encourage care for the trees which already exist as part of our nation’s stunning landscape.”
Background – The QGC “Tree of Trees” sculpture
Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, the QGC “Tree of Trees” stood tall outside Buckingham Palace as a centrepiece of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June. The living sculpture sought to put the importance of trees at the heart of the historic milestone to celebrate Her Majesty, who planted over 1,500 trees all over the world during her 70-year reign.
During the summer the trees were cared for by Barcham’s Nursery ahead of distribution at the start of the planting season in October. The trees will be gifted evenly across the UK in proportion to the population, with each county receiving at least one tree. The Lord Lieutenants of each county, who are His Majesty The King’s representatives, have been championing the QGC locally and have selected the recipients of the special trees and pot.
Background – The Queen’s Green Canopy
The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) is a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee. Following the wishes of our Patron, His Majesty The King, the QGC initiative has been extended to the end of March 2023 to give people the opportunity to plant trees in memoriam to honour Her Majesty.
The Queen’s Green Canopy is proud to be creating a living legacy with over a million trees planted in Her Majesty’s name across the nation during the first planting season, October 2021 to March 2022. The extension of the QGC initiative will build on this legacy and serve as a lasting tribute to Her Majesty’s extraordinary service to her country and her people.
The interactive map created by the QGC to showcase the planting projects across the United Kingdom will also continue to the end of March 2023, giving people an opportunity to be part of this special legacy. https://queensgreencanopy.org/map-education-hub/qgc-map/#/
As well as inviting the planting of new trees, The Queen’s Green Canopy has dedicated a network of 70 Ancient Woodlands across the United Kingdom and identified 70 Ancient Trees to celebrate Her Majesty’s 70 years of service. https://queensgreencanopy.org/ancient-trees-and-ancient-woodland/70-ancient-trees-and-70-ancient-woodlands/
By inviting everyone to plant considerable numbers of new trees throughout the country, the QGC seeks to highlight the significant value of trees and woodlands as nature’s simple but highly effective way to clean the air we breathe, slow the impact of climate change, create important wildlife habitats and improve our general health and wellbeing.
• Throughout Her reign, The Queen planted more than 1,500 trees all over the world and spoke alongside Sir David Attenborough of the importance of trees in the Earth’s future.
• The QGC is a voluntary and inclusive initiative which is open to participation by everyone in the UK.
• The QGC is a symbolic gift which involves the voluntary dedication of forests and woodland – there is no land/title transfer.
• The QGC is a not-for-profit initiative, which has not received Government funding.
Further information about the QGC is available: www.queensgreencanopy.org
