Lochgelly North School to improve the local environment

The UK’s leading woodland conservation charity has set itself the ambitious task of planting a million trees in a month in February 2012 to celebrate The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and celebrate her accession to the throne, part of a year of tree planting that will see 6 million trees planted across the UK in 2012 as part of the Trust’s Jubilee Woods project.

February 6th 2012 marks the 60th anniversary of The Queen’s accession to the throne. Happily, the winter months are also the best time of year to plant trees, when they are dormant and the ground is full of moisture to give them a good start before the summer. So, in February 2012, the Woodland Trust is inviting people, together with family, friends, and local communities to join us in planting one million trees for the Jubilee.

In February alone the Trust expects to see 7,500 free tree packs for schools, and over 2000 community tree packs planted, and more than 500 acres of woodland created across large 60 acre Diamond Woods and smaller Jubilee Woods, along with 100,000 individual garden trees and 50,000 trees planted by partner organisations across Britain.

Across the UK landowners, communities, schools and organisations have pledged to plant trees in February to help the Trust, these include Stoke City Council, The Burghley Estate, and tree planting individuals such as Dame Judi Dench the multi award winning film stage and TV actress and enthusiastic supporter of the Jubilee Woods project who is planting oaks in her garden.

Dame Judi spoke about planting trees, she said: “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.”

Georgina McLeod, Head of Jubilee Woods said: “The great news is that everyone can get involved in February and be one in a million. From helping to create 60 new Diamond Woods, planting new woodland with communities, donating funds to help plant trees, to planting trees in school grounds or a single tree in your garden or pot, it’s easy to plant trees for the Jubilee and help us reach a million trees in a month! People can visit the Jubilee Woods website to find out more. But this is just the start, the tree planting celebrations will take place across the whole year with opportunities for everyone to get involved in planting 6 million trees.”

And it wouldn’t be the first time that the UK has celebrated a Royal occasion by nationwide tree planting. The Royal Record of Tree Planting for King George VI’s Coronation records in fascinating detail the tree planting undertaken by thousands of schools, parishes, organisations and homeowners in 1936/7, and has been made available online for the first time by the Trust. People can search the book online and unearth the hidden treasures on their doorsteps.

Everyone involved in planting for the Diamond Jubilee will be recorded in the new royal record that will be published on line and in hard copy form which will be presented to The Queen and the British library at the end of the project.

Free Jubilee tree packs are also available for communities and schools to plant in local areas and school grounds. For individuals there is a special range of individual Jubilee trees for gardens or pots. For more information or to find out how you can get involved and plant your tree for the Jubilee in February 2012 visit the www.Jubileewoods.org.uk website.