George Eustice MP has today joined over 500 other MPs to plant trees as part of the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy, a network of forest conservation initiatives to mark Her Majesty's lifetime of service to the Commonwealth.
The trees - two silver birch, two rowan, and a hazel – will be planted in the grounds of secondary schools across the constituency.
They were donated to George Eustice MP thanks to a partnership between the Woodland Trust, Sainsbury’s and ITV, which in April screened a landmark documentary, The Queen's Green Planet, following Her Majesty the Queen and this ambitious legacy project which brings together her deeply held commitment to the Commonwealth and her little-known love of trees.
At the heart of the film was a conversation between the Queen and Sir David Attenborough filmed in the gardens of Buckingham Palace last summer. In a rare opportunity to see the Queen talking informally to Sir David, the conversation ranged from climate change, to conkers and of course trees, and was watched by 6.4 million viewers, making it ITV’s most watched factual programme of the year.
George Eustice said, “Trees play a vital role in protecting both us and the environment, by reducing greenhouse gasses and absorbing pollutants from the air. In turn, we must do our bit to make sure our woodlands and green spaces continue to flourish. That is why I was glad that children from schools across the constituency came together to plant these trees and take part in the Queens Commonwealth Canopy Project. I hope that the schools will be able to enjoy the trees that they have planted for years to come.”