The Queen’s Green Canopy encourages everyone to plant trees

The Queen’s Green Canopy initiative aims to get people throughout the UK to plant trees to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee this year. The East Sussex Lieutenancy project based at Action in rural Sussex is encouraging planting in East Sussex and Brighton & Hove. We’re part of the project working to create a national canopy of trees to help reduce the impact of climate change, filter air, increase wildlife habitat and improve the environment for everyone.

The Queens Green Canopy project runs alongside our Lost Wood project that also supports communities to protect and preserve their existing woods and local green spaces.

Community planting in Brighton

A major aim of the Queen’s Green Canopy is to involve communities in tree planting in their neighbourhoods – bringing people together in an activity which improves local environments. We were therefore particularly pleased to be involved with a small tree planting with the Bristol Estate Leaseholders & Tenants Association in Kemptown, Brighton, greening their estate.

The event involved tenant representatives who had consulted with the local residents and Trees for Cities before settling on suitable trees and appropriate locations for planting.

The planting event brought together the national tree planting charity Trees for Cities, the countryside charity CPRE and the Brighton & Hove Council tree officer to plant the trees dedicated to the Queen’s Green Canopy. Deputy Lieutenant Juliet Smith said how pleased she was to be involved in such a fantastic initiative before planting the two trees, a Hop Hornbeam and a Hawthorn aiming to diversify the trees species in the city. If you’re part of a community group interested in tree planting in your area do get in touch.

How to Take Part

We would love everyone to get involved in planting a commemorative tree, whether in your own garden or as part of community groups and other organisations with access to suitable land in your neighbourhood. Most gardens can accommodate a decorative or fruiting tree and there are plenty of options for smaller spaces.

For guidance on tree planting for the Jubilee as well as information on what’s happening across East Sussex for the Queen’s Green Canopy visit
Queen’s Green Canopy | Action in rural Sussex

What’s been happening

Most commemorative tree planting will happen in the planting season in the autumn and winter of this year, but some trees have been planted already.
On 1 March the Lord-Lieutenant of East Sussex, Andrew Blackman visited the celebrated Glyndebourne opera house to plant one of twelve trees being planted there to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The ceremonial planting on the edge of the South Downs saw the Lord-Lieutenant plant a disease-resistant elm with the help of Michael Rudman DL who is Patron of the South Downs National Park Trust (SDNPT). They were hosted by Glyndebourne’s Executive Chairman Gus Christie DL and you can read more about it and see the photos here Tree planting at world-renowned Glyndebourne cements links between the East Sussex Queen’s Green Canopy and the South Downs National Park | Action in rural Sussex

We would love to hear about your own tree planting projects; For example there will be a Family Woods Day at Laughton Greenwood on June 3rd and a symbolic tree will be planted there.

Please share your plans with Mark on his email below. If you have planted a commemorative tree please send us any photos or stories so we can feature them on our website.
mark.whitaker@ruralsussex.org.uk

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