Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Tree Planting and Canopy
PLANT A TREE TO COMMEMORATE QUEEN ELIZABETH II
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 was marked by a unique large-scale tree planting campaign across the UK, creating the Queen’s Green Canopy.
People across the UK were encouraged to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee” and thousands of trees across Oxfordshire have been planted as part of this national celebration. They range from individual trees through to woods, avenues, stands, community orchards, and new hedgerows.
All these plantings - whether small or large - have been uploaded onto a map of the UK to provide a public record of all Platinum Jubilee trees and woods. See them on www.queensgreencanopy.org
The Queen was especially keen on the Canopy project as in addition to all the celebration events, she wished there to be a more tangible legacy arising from the Jubilee. She lighted on the idea of encouraging tree planting to form a 'Jubilee Canopy' across the country, which would help to draw attention to, and do something tangible about, the two greatest challenges facing humankind: climate change and the decline in bio-diversity.
Now, in recognition of her personal commitment to the project, the King has asked that the planting should continue in order to add as many more trees to the Canopy as possible as a memorial to his mother. The time-scale of the project has therefore been extended to the end of March 2023, so it takes in the whole of the current tree planting season.
The definition of trees for the canopy is very wide, and as well as single trees includes clumps, stands, avenues, orchards, woods and hedgerows. Moreover, the initiative is not exclusive in the sense that trees can only be planted only for the QGC. It is perfectly acceptable for trees to be planted for more than one purpose, e.g. an organisation might want to celebrate a special anniversary as well as commemorating the Queen. Nor does it matter if the trees have already been sponsored by a charity or a commercial organisation. Any trees planted during the Jubilee year can be dedicated as a memorial to the Queen, even if they were originally planted without that intention.
There are very few obligations associated with Jubilee or Memorial tree planting, the main one being that arrangements should be made for the tree to be cared for. But there are no obligations relating to public access although it is obviously most welcome if the public can see and visit them. And don’t forget to register your Memorial planting on the Queen’s Green Canopy website; https://queensgreencanopy.org/map-education-hub/qgc-map/#/
We are looking for further opportunities to add to the Canopy in Oxfordshire, either through new planting or by dedicating trees planted over the last year.
For more information about the Queen’s Green Canopy programme or planting Memorial trees, please visit their website: www.queensgreencanopy.org . The site has advice on how to plant, when to plant, recommended soil type as well as how to maintain the trees in the future.
If you have suggestions about where in Oxfordshire trees could be planted or on suitable sites for larger woodlands or avenues then please contact the Oxfordshire Lieutenancy Office on lieutenancy-office@theridgegroup.com .
A guide to planting trees can be found here.
Schools may find the following information helpful too:
Information on how to register your tree can be found here.
Have a look at our gallery of tree plantings around Oxfordshire!
