Towards the end of last year, Braintree District Council offered native tree whips and bulbs to Parish and Town Councils, local community/voluntary groups, schools, colleges and charities.
The scheme proved popular with residents across the district, with a total of 115 applicants from 26 Parish & Town Councils, 32 Schools & Nurseries and 57 Community Groups, all coming together to plant 4,850 trees and 41,600 bulbs within their local areas by March 2022.
The planting packages consisted of native tree whips, including Field Maple, Hazel and Hawthorn, as well as attractive bulbs including Daffodils, English Bluebells and Crocus, to encourage biodiversity and pollinators.
Two of the Council’s priorities in its Climate Change Strategy are to improve biodiversity and green spaces and increase the planting of trees and bulbs to help protect the natural environment. Delivering benefits to help tackle climate change, as well as having a positive impact on the wellbeing of local residents by enhancing green open spaces for everyone to enjoy, all contribute towards making the district a good place to live.
Cllr Wendy Schmitt, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and The Environment at Braintree District Council said: “I am delighted that this project has had an overwhelming response from people of all ages within our local communities. Every tree planted will help protect our natural environment by capturing and storing carbon, and I am also looking forward to seeing the many colourful floral displays when venturing around our district.
“I would like to thank everyone involved in this project for showing they care about their local environment and for helping to tackle climate change. And please, if you have planted a tree then don’t forget to add yours to The Queen's Green Canopy map, so you can say you have been a part of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee Green Canopy project, ‘Plant a tree for the Jubilee’, to honour the legacy of our Queen and benefit future generations.”
The Council has also planted more on council owned land, bringing the overall number of trees and bulbs planted to 18,700 native trees and 73,000 bulbs across the district.
Braintree District Council is encouraging everyone who has planted trees to plot their locations on The Queen's Green Canopy map by visiting the official website: www.queensgreencanopy.org
To find out more about Braintree District Council’s Climate Change Strategy and see what local residents and business are doing to tackle climate change visit: https://www.braintree.gov.uk/climatechange