Some 36,000 trees were planted in Wolverhampton as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC), the nationwide initiative created to mark the Platinum Jubilee in 2022 which closed on Friday 31 March this year.
Originally due to conclude in December at the end of the Jubilee year, the scheme was extended to include the full tree planting season as a lasting tribute to the late Queen’s extraordinary service to her country and her people.
The City of Wolverhampton Council alongside the six other local authorities in the West Midlands participated in the programme which saw children and adults alike donning boots and wielding spades to plant some 150,000 trees (one for every 18 residents of the West Midlands) including whips, standards, fruit trees and hedging.
Across the West Midlands Lieutenancy area, more than 150,000 trees have been planted.
While the Jubilee project has come to an end, the QGC has announced it will fund the planting of a specimen tree in the West Midlands as part of a programme which will see plantings in each of the 98 lieutenancies across the UK later this year, to mark the coronation of King Charles III.
Sir John Crabtree OBE, Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands, said: “It has been a joyous celebration tinged with the sadness of Her Majesty’s death during her Jubilee Year. I want to thank the thousands of volunteers of all ages who have shown such remarkable support for this great initiative and who have turned out in their droves in both good and bad weather to mark Her Majesty’s great achievements and commitment to service.
“The Queen’s Green Canopy has not only been a celebration of the late Queen’s service to the nation but has further raised the important role of trees in the urban environment and has created an ambition that will continue in the years to come.”
Coordinated by West Midlands Lieutenancy, the undertaking saw a host of community events with more than 40 attended by representatives of the Lord-Lieutenant.”
