Official Launch of The Queen’s Green Canopy: “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee”

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, Patron, has planted a tree to launch The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) - a unique, UK-wide tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022, by inviting people to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee.”

Her Majesty The Queen joined The Prince of Wales for the first Jubilee tree planting in the grounds of Windsor Castle earlier this year, during the tree planting season.

The Prime Minister Boris Johnson today welcomed the QGC initiative which invites everyone to plant sustainably to create a national legacy in honour of The Queen’s leadership over 70 years. He said: “Our trees stand at the frontline of our fight against climate change and by sustaining our beautiful countryside for generations to come, The Queen’s Green Canopy is a fitting tribute to Her Majesty’s years of service to this country. I urge everyone to get involved and ‘plant a tree for the Jubilee’.”
Everyone from individuals to voluntary and uniformed groups, villages, cities, counties, schools and corporates will be encouraged to plant trees from October 2021 when the tree planting season begins, through to the end of the Jubilee year in 2022. The countdown to planting season begins today, giving people time to plan their planting projects.

As well as inviting the planting of new trees, The Queen’s Green Canopy will highlight and showcase 70 amazing and irreplaceable Ancient Woodlands across the United Kingdom and identify 70 Ancient Trees to celebrate Her Majesty’s 70 years of service.
The QGC project will also create a pilot training programme for unemployed young people aged 16-24 through Capel Manor College, London’s only specialist environmental college of which The Queen Mother was Patron, to plant and manage trees.

From October, all planting projects can be uploaded onto an interactive map on the new QGC website so that everyone can share and inspire others, as well as creating a green canopy of projects to cover the country.

The Prince’s Jubilee tree was planted earlier this year in the grounds of Windsor Castle in March, during the official planting season (October-March). A photograph of Her Majesty and His Royal Highness with the tree has been released in support of The Queen’s Green Canopy launch.

Today the QGC website has been launched www.queensgreencanopy.org which gives people information on how they can get involved.
The Environment Secretary, George Eustice, said: “I want to encourage everyone to support the launch of The Queen’s Green Canopy. From individuals, schools, farmers, environmental groups and businesses, we want people to get involved, grow and protect our nation’s trees, and mark the Platinum Jubilee.
Tackling the climate and biodiversity crises is a priority. Healthy and productive trees and woodland will play a crucial role in this – which is why we are committed to increasing tree planting across the UK to 30,000 hectares per year by the end of this Parliament, and investing millions of pounds to help deliver this through the ‘Nature for Climate Fund’.”

The Queen’s Green Canopy will encourage everyone to learn more about the best way to plant trees so that they survive and flourish for years to come. Trees and hedgerows must be planted with care, at the right time of year, in the right place and with species that are not prone to prevailing tree diseases. The QGC initiative will encourage planting during the official planting season, October to March, to optimise the chance of trees surviving and flourishing.

Further details will be published over the next few months.