PRESS RELEASE : Funding for tree planting projects to honour Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth announced [December 2022]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 2 December 2022.

New funding to plant trees in communities nationwide in honour of the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth has been announced by Forestry Minister Trudy Harrison.

Defra will provide lead delivery partners of The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) with half a million pounds in funding to plant trees in communities across the country in honour of the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.

As part of the national tree planting initiative in Her Majesty’s name – The Queen’s Green Canopy – funding of £499,000 will be provided for a special programme of planting to be delivered by QGC Partners including Trees for Cities, The Tree Council, The Conservation Volunteers and Earthwatch.

Working in cooperation with local authorities and communities, the funding will enable thousands of trees to be planted in over 60 locations across England, engaging communities that have limited access to nature and green spaces. The projects include:

• The Tree Council will plant 69,000 whips to create 14km of hedgerow in up to 50 locations, which will be chosen to increase biodiversity, local nature recovery and future flood alleviation.
• Trees for Cites will extend their “Forgotten Places” programme across five areas that are nature-deprived, planting a total of over 5,000 trees.
• Earthwatch will plant 1,800 trees to create three “Tiny Forests” in urban areas with low woodland cover. A Tiny Forest is a dense, fast-growing native woodland the size of a tennis court.
• The Conservation Volunteers will plant 1,500 saplings and propagate native species, including 2,500 Oak acorns, in their nursery for planting in the future.

Forestry Minister Trudy Harrison said:

The Queen’s Green Canopy is a fitting tribute to the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. Trees are at the heart of our communities and today’s funding will ensure that thousands more trees are planted across the country in her honour.

Forestry Commission Chair Sir William Worsley said:

Healthy and productive trees play a vital role in tackling climate change and protecting biodiversity. They also make our towns and cities healthier, from improving air quality to providing mental health benefits, enriching the quality of life for people from all socio-economic backgrounds.

This network of trees will provide continue to provide benefits to local communities as a lasting tribute to Her Majesty’s extraordinary service to her country and her people.

Chief Executive Officer of The Queen’s Green Canopy Dan Rex said:

The Queen’s Green Canopy is proud to be working with Defra and delivery partners to continue our programme of nationwide tree planting to honour the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and build a greener environment for generations to come. This funding will make a significant difference to benefit local communities in nature-deprived areas.

As a partner of The Queen’s Green Canopy, Defra is proud to work with QGC delivery partners to bring together this special planting programme in honour of Queen Elizabeth to the benefit of local communities and future generations.

The trees planted will become part of the living legacy which is being created in honour of Queen Elizabeth through The Queen’s Green Canopy, which has inspired over a million trees to be planted across the country in her name.

This Government is committed to trebling tree planting rates in England, as part of the landmark England Trees Action Plan, backed up by £675 million of funding. This will reflect England’s contribution to meeting the UK’s overall target of planting 30,000 hectares per year by the end of this Parliament.