Midlothian residents urged to plant a tree for the Jubilee

The Lord-Lieutenant of Midlothian, Lt. Col. Richard Callander LVO OBE TD, is urging everyone to plant a tree to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Lord-Lieutenant Richard Callander and his grandson busy planting a tree.

He hopes that people in Midlothian will get behind ‘The Queen’s Green Canopy’ project, which is an important initiative to create a greener planet.

The aim of the project is to help the environment by planting trees sustainably, creating a network of individual trees, avenues, copses and whole woodlands in honour of The Queen's 70 years of service to her country.

The Midlothian Lieutenancy is keen to help ensure that as many trees as possible are planted in Midlothian during this Jubilee year.

The Lord-Lieutenant said: "The Queen’s Green Canopy is a very fitting tribute to the years of service Her Majesty has given to this country and a wonderful way to celebrate her 70 years on the throne.

"It will create a lasting legacy that will enhance our environment for generations to come. This is a fantastic project and I would urge everyone to get involved and ‘Plant a tree for the Jubilee’."

He added: “Trees stand at the front line of our fight against Climate Change. As they grow, they remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and produce oxygen back into the air we breathe.

"Trees are also important for biodiversity and enrich our lives and sense of well-being.

"However, they are under constant threat and in recent years we have lost many to pests and diseases like Ash Dieback and many more have been uprooted in the latest winter storms.”

Everyone in Midlothian is being asked to play their part to enhance our local environment by planting trees. Many people may wish to plant a tree to remember a relative or friend, lost during the Covid pandemic or to celebrate a special event in their lives.

Details of how to get involved in tree planting can be found at: https://queensgreencanopy.org/. Planting projects can be uploaded onto an interactive map on the QGC website, so that everyone can share and inspire others to help create a green canopy of planting projects to cover the UK. The Scottish Woodland Trust are also offering help and advice with free trees for schools and community organisations, www.woodlandtrust.org.uk.