The City of London has planted the final trees in a new grove honouring the reign of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester, Ranger of Epping Forest, alongside civic leaders from the City of London Corporation, and the London Boroughs of Redbridge, Waltham Forest, and Newham, planted the remaining trees in a grove of 70 Silver Birch at Wanstead Flats – a site manage by the Square Mile’s governing body.
The 70 trees represent the 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign and will be dedicated as part of The Queen’s Green Canopy campaign. The trees join Epping Forest’s more than one million trees, 55,000 of which are considered ancient – one of the largest collections in the UK.
The Queen’s Green Canopy is a tree planting initiative created to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. Following her passing in September, His Majesty The King agreed to extend the scheme to allow people to plant trees in her memory.
The trees will create a new woodland adjacent to a children’s play area and the Jubilee Pond.
Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Epping Forest and Commons Committee, Ben Murphy, said: “This new grove of trees will serve as a permanent tribute to Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s remarkable reign and her 70 years of unfaltering commitment to public service.
“The City Corporation is proud to support this campaign, creating a living legacy and bringing together communities to counteract the effects of climate change.
“The grove will be a welcoming space for all Epping Forest visitors to enjoy, as well as filtering air pollution and creating new wildlife habitats.”
In May, Epping Forest, Burnham Beeches, and Ashtead Common were chosen by The Queen’s Green Canopy campaign as part of a nationwide network of 70 ancient woodlands.
Wanstead Flats was chosen for the Epping Forest memorial planting as a grove was established on the Flats in 1953 to mark Her Late Majesty The Queen’s coronation.
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