Becki CrossleyIt has been 60 years since The Queen’s accession to the throne and to mark the anniversary what better way to celebrate than with the plantation of millions of trees that will benefit the UK for generations to come. The Jubilee Woods Project is a project set up to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s historic 2012 Diamond Jubilee, in association with the Woodland Trust.
The Jubilee Woods Project aims to create hundreds of Jubilee Woods and 60 special Diamond Woods that will transform landscapes across the UK in a generation whilst providing a lasting tribute for years to come. The Woodland Trust is helping millions of people across the UK to come together to plant 6 million trees to mark the occasion.
The University of York is lucky enough to be celebrating the Queen’s visit to York on Thursday in a very unique way. The news that the University has been selected for the creation of a very special Diamond Wood comes as a great honor as the Queen visits the city this week. York’s very own Diamond Wood is to be a 24 hectare site on the University’s new £750m million campus extension at Heslington East. The wood is to be situated at Kimberlow Hill and has been chosen by the Woodland Trust to be one of just 60 Diamond Woods in the UK. With one for each year of Her Majesty’s reign it is an honour for the City and University to be part of the lucky 60.
Elizabeth Heaps, the University’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Estates and Strategic Projects, said: “It is a great honour to have been chosen to create a Diamond Wood in Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee year. We are working with colleagues at the Woodland Trust to create something very special which we believe will provide a fabulous local resource, helping inspire a love of trees and woods.”
Georgina McLeod, Project Head at the Woodland Trust, said: “We are absolutely delighted that the University of York has chosen to create a prestigious Diamond Wood. We very much hope that this inspires other landowners and communities to join us in paying a very special tribute to the Queen, while at the same time creating something living and lasting to hand on to future generations.
The area of new native woodland will form a lasting, living legacy celebrating Her Majesty’s reign. The woodland will also have a positive affect as it supports local wildlife and provide an area for the York community to enjoy for generations to come. As if it wasn’t enough that the Queen will be visiting this Thursday the 5th of April, The Jubilee Wood Project offers a gift that will mark the occasion for years to come.
To download the brochure to find out how you and your community can get involved with the Jubilee Woods Project click here.
