A celebration tree was planted at Spring Meadow Infant and Nursery School in Ely on Monday 11th October, as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) project.
The school was one of 70 in the country to be gifted a celebration tree, which was planted in a play area at the front of the school in a ceremony attended by Deputy Lieutenant for Cambridgeshire Lady De Ramsey.
The Betula ermanii tree was planted by children from the school, with the help of the Mayor of Ely, Cllr Sue Austen, Vice Chairman of Cambridgeshire County Council Cllr Sebastian Kindersley and Lady De Ramsey. Six children also read out their thoughts and feelings about the outdoor learning environment and how they see the importance of plants and trees for them to enjoy and learn from. Attendees enjoyed a rendition of a song about trees which the children have recently been practicing.
The QGC is a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 which invites people across the United Kingdom to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee”.
The QGC Celebration Trees initiative aims to highlight the educational aspects of trees and the significance of giving young people access to nature, encouraging wider engagement with the QGC across the school curriculum.
Lady De Ramsey, Deputy Lieutenant for Cambridgeshire, said: “I am delighted to be representing the Lord Lieutenant and planting a tree as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy. It is especially exciting that schools have got involved in this wonderful initiative that will leave a legacy for the benefit of the community.”
Headteacher Annette Blewett said: “At Spring Meadow Infant and Nursery School we are very fortunate, excited and extremely privileged to have been selected to receive a special tree to plant in our school environment. Each child at Spring Meadow will learn even more about the importance of trees and the positive impact they have on our climate. We have a wonderful forest school area, which provides fantastic opportunities to explore and learn from as the seasons change. The children were very excited to meet some very important people who joined us to celebrate this special event.”
More than 200 children will now be able to study the species of the new tree and where it came from. They will also find out why The Queen, in her Jubilee year, wanted to make sure the next generation value the natural environment and the importance of trees.
Every school is being encouraged to get involved in the QGC by planting a tree for the jubilee. The Woodland Trust is providing free trees for schools; more information can be found at https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees/schools-and-communities/.
The QGC is not just for schools – everyone is invited to take part and it is easy to get involved – whether you are an expert gardener or complete novice there is something you can do. This ranges from individuals planting trees on their private land, community planting projects, schools planting trees on their premises and businesses setting up tree planting projects with employees.
There is also plenty of help and advice available – including what types of trees to plant and how to look after them – at https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/climate-change-energy-and-environment/improving-the-natural-environment/trees-and-woodland/queens-green-canopy-project or https://queensgreencanopy.org/.
Press release from Cambridgeshire County Council
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