The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) is a tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. Everyone across the UK is being invited to plant trees from October 2021, when the tree planting season begins, through to the end of the Jubilee year in 2022.
This will create a green legacy of its own, with every tree planted bringing benefits for people, wildlife and climate, now and for the future and Bodenham Arboretum in Wolverley, Kidderminster wanted to be part of the initiative.
James Binnian, owner of Bodenham Arboretum, commented, ‘It is only natural as an Arboretum that we wanted to participate in the ‘Queen’s Green canopy’ project. Trees are of vital importance to the planet – as well as their visual beauty and quality, trees enhance the environment in less obvious ways; they improve air quality by acting as natural air filters, they reduce the ‘Greenhouse’ effect by removing carbon dioxide from the air and releasing oxygen and they play an integral part in the ecosystem providing benefits to wildlife and biodiversity.’
Seven children from local Cookley Sebright Primary School were in attendance on Tuesday 15th March to help plant seven Serbian Spruces at the Arboretum – a tree for each decade.
Tall and slender, with graceful upswept branches, the Serbian spruce is an elegant evergreen tree. It has glossy dark green needles and distinctive purple cones. It is a threatened species in its native Serbia, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, where it has only a few patches of habitat left, but is an adaptable, drought tolerant tree across Europe.
The trees have been planted on a bund in Bodenham’s carpark, where they can be seen as you descend the driveway to the Arboretum, and appreciated by everyone!
The pupils, in attendance with Head Teacher Vickie Crisp and Deputy Head Matt Terrado, were: Seren Thomas (7), Connie Stockley (7), Holly Brown (8), Alfie Binnian (10), Bertie Binnian (7), Eddie Murphy (7) and Sam Murphy (10).
