Get planting for the Queen’s jubilee
Prince Charles urges public to plant a tree to mark Queen’s platinum jubilee, writes Ian Hodgson
Prince Charles is inviting the nation to plant a tree in celebration of Her Majesty’s platinum jubilee in 2022. The Prince hopes as many people and organisations as possible will actively take part in planting
‘The Queen’s Green Canopy’, and will upload a picture of their tree to a dedicated website to mark the unique event.
“Planting a tree is a statement of hope and faith in the future,” said the Prince. “As we approach this most special year, I invite you all to join me to plant a tree for the jubilee, in other words a treebilee.”
Councils are also encouraged to take a lead by championing The Queen’s Green Canopy in their area by supporting schools, community groups and other facilities, such as care homes and leisure centres, to plant trees and by coordinating activity with town and parish councils to ensure a good spread of new trees in their locale. The initiative is supported by the
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, charities such as the RHS, the Woodland Trust, Trees for Cities and Cool Earth, as well as companies such as Royal Mail, Waitrose and John Lewis.
The Woodland Trust will be giving away three million saplings to schools and community groups on a first come, first served basis. Details on how to apply will be available from June 2021 on the trust’s website (www. woodlandtrust. org.uk to find out more).
As well as inviting the planting of new trees, The Queen’s Green Canopy will dedicate a network of 70 ancient woodlands across the UK and identify 70 ancient trees to celebrate the Queen’s 70 years of service to highlight the critical
ecological importance they play. From October, you can also upload a photo of your jubilee tree to an online map and
order an official plaque to place in your garden to mark the occasion for generations to come. Templates for plaques with suggested wording and recommended suppliers will be available from the official website from September, ready for the start of the tree planting season in October.
For information and advice on selecting and planting trees to celebrate the jubilee, visit www.queensgreencanopy.org.