Panshanger Park is 1,000 acres of countryside situated between Welwyn Garden City and Hertford. Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust is working with the park’s owners, Tarmac, and Herts County Council to manage the park for both people and wildlife.
Hints of Winter are starting to creep in and the hours of daylight are getting shorter. Trees are becoming barer and the incoming Winter migrants, such as the wigeon and gadwall – on and around the lakes – are fully settled in for the season. The jays, squirrels and other small mammals are still busily catching the remaining acorns and chestnuts for the coming months.
Whilst these colder, darker months may sometimes be perceived as gloomy, the good news is that at Panshanger we have a Winter project that will help brighten things up.
Planting of a new Jubilee woodland will be taking place at Panshanger Park in December and January, with members of the local community being given the opportunity to show their respects, by planting 17,000 trees in memoriam to honour Her Majesty The Queen.
Inspired by the historic design of the Grade II* listed park, the project will restore woodland areas and parkland in the northern part of the park, as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative.
The Queen’s Green Canopy is a unique tree planting initiative, created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. Across the UK, people were invited to “Plant a tree for the Jubilee” to create a legacy in honour of The Queen’s leadership of the nation, which will benefit future generations.
With the sad passing of the Queen, the Jubilee woodland will now also become a place of memorial, serving as a lasting tribute to Her Majesty’s extraordinary service to her country and her people.
Park owners Tarmac have worked closely with partners Hertfordshire County Council, Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust and Maydencroft to develop the woodland design, with additional advice sought from Historic England, Natural England and Hertfordshire Gardens Trust.
As the delivery of the saplings are imminent, we are looking for volunteers who would like to help plant the 17,000 trees, which will include 19 different species to develop a diverse and resilient woodland, resistant to future climate changes.
The planting will link the existing woods, creating new corridors for wildlife to move freely, and include open rides to allow light in, increasing biodiversity and encouraging a varied woodland edge.
The new woods will, in time, become a fantastic habitat for woodland flora and fauna, as well as create new spaces for visitors to access, enjoy and reflect.
The plan for the new woodland in the north of the park ©Tarmac
If you would like to be involved in the tree planting sessions, to contribute towards the project and its lasting legacy, please go to panshangerpark.com/qgc for more information.
We are also welcoming local community groups, schools and businesses to get involved. For group bookings, please email [email protected]
Jo Whitaker is the Panshanger Park people and wildlife officer. She works for Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust and her role is funded by Tarmac.
