Planting of a new jubilee woodland is soon to begin at Panshanger Park, with members of the local community being given the opportunity to show their respects by planting trees in memoriam to honour Her Majesty the Queen.
Inspired by the historic design of the Grade II* listed park, the initiative will restore woodland areas and parkland in the northern part of the park as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative in celebration of the Platinum Jubilee.
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.
Volunteers are being invited to take part in sessions to help plant the 17,000 trees required to create the woodland, which will include 19 different species to develop a diverse and resilient woodland resistant to future climate changes. The planting will link existing woodland, creating new corridors for wildlife to move freely.
Michael Charlton, estates manager at Tarmac, said: “It is with mixed emotions that we start the woodland planting at Panshanger given the sad passing of Her Majesty the Queen. Although this is an emotional time, we are looking forward to giving the local community, schools, and park users the opportunity to pay their respects whist helping to create a fantastic new chapter for the park. We are keen to get as many people involved as possible, making it a real community effort and something everyone can feel part of.”
Jo Whitaker, people and wildlife officer for Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, who is based at the park, said: “The tree planting events are a wonderful opportunity for people wanting to be involved in creating a little bit of history at the park. Since the Queen’s passing the initiative has become even more meaningful and is a lovely way to bring people together.
“We look forward to welcoming people to these events and working together to create a lasting memory to Her Majesty the Queen, as well as something magical for the park.”
Eric Buckmaster, Executive Member for The Environment at Hertfordshire County Council said:
“The Jubilee Woodland at Panshanger Park is a fantastic opportunity for local residents to play their part in creating a lasting legacy for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, while also helping to improve nature in their local area and make Hertfordshire more sustainable. I would encourage anyone who is able to take part in these planting sessions.”
For more information on the upcoming events and how to take part, click here: https://panshangerpark.tarmac.com/qgc/
