We have been contacted by the Deputy Lieutenant Deputy Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, Neil Sutherland. He told us that The Queen has asked that a very significant initiative is undertaken to mark her 70th (Platinum) Jubilee. She has requested that the Queen's Green Canopy project be rolled out to mark this occasion. (See: queensgreencanopy.org). The emphasis is on planting healthy trees in the correct location so that they will thrive. All projects are to be logged on the Queen's Green Canopy website.
Ideally trees should have been planted between October 2021 and March 2022, but for various reasons I’ve only recently been able to start investigating potential sites and sources of trees and other assistance.
I've recently contacted the Great Western Area Forest organisers at Swindon Borough Council and they have agreed to consider providing trees and stakes for the village. Once we have identified suitable locations they will visit the village and provide us with advice about location, recommended stage of growth of the trees and species to be used. Over the next few weeks we will finalise the potential sites for the trees and with liaise with them about planting this autumn. At that point we will enter the trees onto the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee tree initiative map as requested.
If you want to get involved and plant trees:
Please let me know your plans and the future location of the trees. I can then collate a list of trees and sites and respond to the Great Western Forest team with our intentions.
If you’ve already recently planted trees in the parish:
I'm also aware that last autumn a number of trees were planted by various landowners and householders within the parish. If that applies to you please follow the following instructions and register the trees. (I’ve just done it for three trees we planted here and it seems pretty straightforward. Let me know if you have any difficulties and I’ll try to help.)
- Take a photo of your tree, or if you have planted a clump, copse, avenue, orchard, hedgerow, etc , then a general view of as many as you can see. If you would like to, include people, either yourself or others, in the foreground.
- Go to the following QGC webpage https://queensgreencanopy.org/map-education-hub/qgc-map/#/
- Select "Add your tree" and follow the instructions. The photo of your tree or planting site will need to be uploaded, and some basic information completed.
- Your entry will take a couple of days to appear on the digital map as the registration is checked by the QGC team and the location 'randomised' for data privacy reasons. You should get a confirmatory email within a few days. The photo and basic details (including your first name only or the name of your organisation) will then appear on the digital map.
Ian Mason, Greener Great Coxwell ([email protected])