On February 3, 2012, Her Majesty The Queen and HRH The Princess Royal together planted symbolic trees at Sandringham to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee and the Woodland Trust’s Jubilee Woods Project. Her Majesty is creating a new 20 acre woodland on the Sandringham Estate as part of the project.
The Jubilee Project, which has The Queen’s support and HRH The Princess Royal as Patron, aims to plant 6 million trees across the UK and involve millions of people in a year of tree planting Jubilee celebrations.
February 6th 2012 marks the 60th anniversary of The Queen’s accession to the throne when her father passed away at Sandringham which makes the new woodland a special tribute.
Georgina McLeod, Woodland Trust, Jubilee Woods Director said: "We are absolutely delighted that Her Majesty The Queen and HRH The Princess Royal have agreed to help start a year of Jubilee Woods tree celebrations.”
Georgina McLeod continued: “We very much hope that people across the UK will want to join us in paying a very special tribute to The Queen, while at the same time creating something living and lasting to hand on to future generations. It’s a great way to celebrate the Jubilee but also it’s a chance to make your mark on Britain’s future.”
At the pinnacle of the project will be 60 special Diamond Woods - each of at least 60 acres - with hundreds of smaller Jubilee Woods also being created. The Woodland Trust has thousands of free Jubilee Tree packs available for communities and schools across the UK. For individuals there is a special range of individual Jubilee trees for gardens or pots available online.
Georgina McLeod continued: "We can only make this exciting and ambitious project successful with everyone’s help. We want to give people the chance to plant trees and we’re appealing to our supporters; individuals, organisations and businesses, to help make this happen."
Across the UK landowners, communities, schools, organisations and individuals have pledged to plant trees to help the Trust, and it is hoped that millions of people across the UK will also take the opportunity to get involved in 2012. People can visit the Jubilee Woods website to find out more.
Dame Judi Dench spoke about planting trees: “Whenever a friend or relative dies, I make a point of planting a tree in my garden. As soon as I heard about the Jubilee Woods project, I felt I wanted to be a part of it. I support the Woodland Trust because I think too many forests are being destroyed and we should do all we can to conserve what we have and to plant more. The more trees I see, the happier I am.”
Her Majesty The Queen and Dame Judi planting trees is just the start, tree celebrations will take place across the whole year with opportunities for everyone to get involved in planting 6 million trees. For more information or to find out how you can get involved and plant your tree for the Jubilee visit the www.Jubileewoods.org.uk website.
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Notes to editors:
For more information please contact Steve Marsh, Woodland Trust press office on 01476 581 121, 07771 942 223 or email stevemarsh@woodlandtrust.org.uk
For more information regarding the Jubilee celebrations please contact Meryl Keeling
Tel: 020 7024 4217 / 07793 850019 E: Meryl.keeling@royal.gsx.gov.uk
Jubilee Woods project www.jubileewoods.org.uk
The Trust is offering people the gem of a chance to be at the heart of the Queen's 2012 Diamond Jubilee celebrations, by planting trees for The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
The project aims to plant six million trees to celebrate The Queen’s reign and involve millions of people. The Woodland Trust is honoured to have support from the Queen as we pay tribute to her Majesty's 60-year reign by planting millions of native trees in the UK. We are delighted to have HRH The Princess Royal as patron of the project.
The project will see 60 Diamond Woods – Woods of over 60 acres being created across the UK
100s of Jubilee Woods - Woods of over an acre
1000s of FREE community tree packs containing 105 or 420 native tree species, these packs come in four themes, each containing a ‘royal oak’ sapling grown from acorns collected on Royal estates. Packs can be now ordered for planting in autumn 2012 (closing date September).
1000s of FREE school packs containing 60 hedge or copse tree species, each containing a ‘royal oak’ sapling grown from acorns collected on Royal estates. Schools packs can be ordered for planting in autumn 2012.
100,000s of individual garden trees or trees in a pot
Corporate Supporters
The Jubilee Woods project is kindly supported by our Lead Sponsor Sainsbury's, Diamond partner, IKEA, and Silver Partners Calor, Hoval, ibuyeco, Pearson and The Wren Press.
Woodland Trust
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading charity championing native woods and trees. It has 300,000 members and supporters. The Trust has three key aims: i) to enable the creation of more native woods and places rich in trees ii) to protect native woods, trees and their wildlife for the future iii) to inspire everyone to enjoy and value woods and trees. Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). Access to its sites is free.