The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) initiative will be extended to the end of March 2023 to give people the opportunity to plant trees in memoriam to honour Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.
Across the Isle of Wight many trees have already been planted as part of the Queen's Green Canopy and the project was to have concluded in December, at the end of the platinum jubilee year.
Scroll through the gallery of pictures above to see more of the Isle of Wight plantings so far...
However, as the official tree planting season in the United Kingdom is from October to March, King Charles III has asked that the initiative should be extended to include this full tree planting season, which begins next month (October) and concludes in March 2023.
The Queen's Green Canopy is proud to be creating a living legacy with more than 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 Queen's Green Canopy initiative will build on this legacy and serve as a lasting tribute to Her Majesty’s extraordinary service to her country and her people.
Planting trees was an important part of the Queen's life and for her coronation in 1953, she performed a tree-planting in Windsor Great Park.
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.
To celebrate her platinum jubilee, the Queen's Green Canopy initiative was launched — and up and down the country people have been planting trees to mark the momentous occasion.
The Queen and The Prince of Wales (now King Charles III) planted the first jubilee tree in the grounds of Windsor Castle in March 2021, to mark the project's launch.
On the Isle of Wight, the lord-lieutenant, Susie Sheldon, planted the first Queen's Green Canopy tree at the County Showground in Northwood, in October 2021, following an invitation by the Royal Isle of Wight Agricultural Society, which has been spearheading the project locally.
Since then, scores of local groups, schools and individuals have planted jubilee trees.
The QGC project aims to plant thousands of trees across the Isle of Wight and the rest of Britain and has already seen a number of high-profile local plantings, including at Osborne House, Queen Victoria's former home in East Cowes.
Earlier this spring, Newport and Carisbrooke Community Council and town business ERMC planted 48 trees for the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative.
The community council planting saw seven standard field maple trees planted next to the existing woodland in Vectis Field off Wellington Road in Newport.
Each represented a decade of the Queen’s reign in celebration of the platinum jubilee.
To help with assisting woodland spread, they planted 40 additional saplings a mix of field maple, willow, beech, hornbeam and rowan to complement the existing trees in the area.
Sandown Green Town Volunteers and local residents were delighted to welcome deputy lord lieutenants for the Isle of Wight, Mary Case and Graham Biss, together with Sandown mayor, Cllr Paddy Lightfoot, to the planting of an oak tree in Battery Gardens earlier this year.
Ben Holbrook, deputy chair of the volunteer group, said: "We hope this tree, along with other native species we have planted around Sandown, will help to mark the Platinum Jubilee, and will go on to thrive for decades to come."
Schools have also been keen to plant their own commemorative trees, including Shalfleet and Yarmouth CE Primary schools, who planted their trees in March.
Diana Gates, Shalfleet and Yarmouth CE Primary School's outdoor learning leader, said earlier this year: "We were visited by Rachael Ardley from Natural Enterprise to plant trees at Yarmouth and Shalfleet Primary schools, in association with the Royal Isle of Wight Agricultural Society."
"At Yarmouth, we have planted an oak tree which we will move to our new site in Freshwater next year.
"The tree was planted by the Year 6 children so they will have an ongoing connection with the new school. Perhaps one day they will be able to tell their children about the history of this special tree.
"The tree we planted at Shalfleet was grown from an acorn from a 700-year-old oak tree at Nunwell. We will be able to watch this tree grow and nurture our own little acorns for many years to come. We were very proud to help celebrate the Queen's Jubilee by planting our trees."
A new woodland copse and wildflower meadows are being created at Brighstone Primary School for the Queen’s Green Canopy - thanks to a grant from Wightlink’s Green Fund for Schools and the Woodland Trust’s Free Trees for Schools initiative.
Individuals have decided to get involved in the Queen's Green Canopy project too, including Professor Anthony and Doctor Vivian Roberts from Haseley Manor, Arreton, who planted an English oak tree to mark their golden wedding anniversary this year.
The couple, who are well-known within the Isle of Wight community, have lived at Haseley Manor for 21 years.
You can see more at: queensgreencanopy.org, which has an interactive map showing plantings and details of how you can get involved in the project.
- Alongside the inspiring floral tributes being left outside Royal Palaces, people can also gift a tree in memoriam in honour of Her Majesty, with trees to be planted in schools and deprived urban areas across the United Kingdom.
- To gift a tree in honour of Her Majesty, visit https://shop.queensgreencanopy.org/
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