Eastbourne residents and businesses are being invited to be part of a flagship tree planting project to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The ‘Queen’s Green Canopy in Eastbourne’ will leave a lasting legacy of the Jubilee and will breathe new life into the slopes of the South Downs above Eastbourne by planting new trees stretching from Butts Brow to Black Robin Farm, then down to the sea.

Local groups, businesses and individuals are being invited to support the scheme by donating to the project by visiting www.EastbourneJGC.org

Cllr David Tutt, Leader of Eastbourne Borough Council said:

“I am delighted that this wonderful initiative has already attracted so much interest from the community, with groups in Ratton, Old Town and Meads and the Royal Eastbourne Golf Club coming together to support the initiative. I would encourage as many local people as possible to consider donating towards the project – no matter the size, every contribution will be hugely beneficial.

“Schools across Eastbourne will be involved on the hillside so that children in the town can have a place where they can enjoy and learn about the natural world. It is so important that we are instilling the importance of caring for the environment in our young people and I am confident this project will capture the imagination of people of all ages”.

Eastbourne-based voluntary action charity, 3VA is helping coordinate the various organisations’ involvement in the project and Treebourne, the local environmental charity which has been driving tree planting across the town in recent years, will be carrying out much of the planting, which builds upon their huge success in bringing thousands of new trees to the town.

Adam Rose, Co-founder of Treebourne said:

“It will be exciting to watch this ten-year project develop and to see the benefits it brings to the area in terms of biodiversity and carbon capture. I am immensely grateful to the team of Treebourne volunteers who will be on-hand to carry out much of the planting that takes place.”

Lord Ralph Lucas, Chair of the organising committee, said:

“When this is complete, Eastbourne will not only have a beautiful new walk but also more diverse flora and fauna in the area. We will be planting the foodplants of every British butterfly that will flourish here, every native tree and bush that will grow on chalk, thickets for birds to nest in and introducing benches so we can all sit and contemplate the beauty of nature around us and Eastbourne before us.”

“We have made a promising start with fundraising. With further donations, we will be able to get the ball rolling with some significant planting along the route.  Please take a look at our plans and help us make your part of the avenue somewhere you will want to enjoy.”

The organising committee of the Eastbourne Jubilee Green Canopy, the largest East Sussex project for The Queen’s Green Canopy, have drawn up detailed plans which you can see at www.EastbourneJGC.org