Join us on our mission to plant a greener future for Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire Council is on a mission to create a greener, cleaner future for everyone in the county and is calling on local residents and communities to get involved.

During National Tree Week (27 November to 3 December), the council is launching its Bucks Tree Mission, a commitment to its planting of trees across Buckinghamshire and support for community projects and initiatives to do the same. This year’s National Tree Week will be particularly special because many of the trees planted will form part of Her Majesty The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) initiative.

The Bucks Tree Mission encompasses a range of shared tree planting projects including:

• The Council’s pledge to plant over 543,000 trees, one for every resident in Bucks
• The Queen’s Green Canopy – a tree planting initiative to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
• Several community tree planting projects using funding from the Forestry Commission’s Local Authority Treescapes Fund
• Community based projects such as the Chiltern Rangers seed gathering initiative in partnership with local community boards

Last week Peter Strachan, Cabinet Member for Climate Change & Environment planted the first of the council’s 543,000 trees at The Rye in High Wycombe. He said: “Our pledge to plant over half a million trees in Buckinghamshire over the next 10 years forms part of our commitment to tackling climate change. Tree planting is one of the best ways to help our environment because trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen back into the air. Trees also help prevent flooding, improve water quality, and enhance biodiversity.

“Every tree planted in Buckinghamshire helps to achieve the Bucks Tree Mission of creating more space for nature to grow and thrive and helps to improve health and wellbeing for everyone.”

The Queen’s Green Canopy offers a way for communities to create a legacy in honour of The Queen’s leadership of the nation. This week will see the first QGC trees planted at schools, care homes and nurseries across the county. Buckinghamshire Council is providing commemorative plaques to go alongside the trees.

Peter explained: “We’re really excited to be supporting the Queen’s Green Canopy for Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee Year. National Tree Week marks the start of tree planting season and we have several nurseries, schools and care homes within Buckinghamshire who have the honour of planting the first trees for this special project. We look forward to bringing people together to celebrate trees throughout this week and beyond, and to creating a legacy for future generations.”

Projects led by three charities, two parish councils and Transport for Buckinghamshire (TfB) will benefit from the £204k Local Authority Treescape Fund recently awarded to Buckinghamshire. These will see more trees established and maintained in non-woodland settings including sites next to roads and a lake, vacant community spaces and a sensory garden.

Other communities are already benefiting from projects in their local area. Alfriston School in Beaconsfield and Kings Wood School in High Wycombe have been working with Chiltern Rangers and Wild Pear CIC to collect, prepare and nurture tree seeds for planting in the new year. Funded by Beaconsfield & Chepping Wye Community Board and High Wycombe Community Board, this valuable project is helping to educate future generation about the importance of trees to our environment, as well increasing the number of trees for planting.

Peter added: “All these projects are a fantastic start but we don’t want to stop here. We want to encourage residents, communities, businesses and organisations to jump on board and join us in our mission to create a greener and cleaner Buckinghamshire for us and our future generations to enjoy.”

To find out more about the Bucks Tree Mission visit our website.

More information on the Queen’s Green Canopy can also be found online.