Over 70 Parish and Town Councils given a free tree sapling for The Great British Spring Clean

On Saturday two of the Oak saplings were planted at Beaumond Gardens in Newark, and The Burgage in Southwell.

The Oak saplings were planted as part of The Queen’s Green Canopy, a unique national tree planting initiative created to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The Queen’s Green Canopy campaign invites people from across the United Kingdom to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee”. With a focus on planting sustainably, the initiative encourages planting of trees to create a legacy in honour of The Queen’s leadership of the nation, which will benefit future generations.

The District Council have planted over 18,000 trees in Newark and Sherwood over the past few years. Already during 2023 it has given away 1400 as part of the annual Free Tree Scheme, adding to the 10,000 trees that have been given away to local residents, groups and parish councils over the past four years as part of the scheme!

Matthew Finch, Director of Communities and Environment at Newark and Sherwood District Council said: “I’m pleased to see tree planting be a part of our Great British Spring Clean activities. As part of our Climate Emergency Strategy, we have pledged to work towards developing measures to offset global warming. One of the pledges is to increase the number of trees in the district, making local communities more attractive, greener and healthier places to live and work.”

Trees are vital in the fight against climate change. They help by:

• absorbing carbon dioxide
• improving air quality
• cooling the warming planet
• fighting flooding
• nurturing wildlife
• making landscapes more resilient

Any residents that think they may have land suitable for planting large numbers of trees are encouraged to get in touch with the District Council. You can find out more information here https://www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/treesandnatureconservation/.

The tree planting events were held as part of the District Council’s schedule for The Great British Spring Clean, a national clean-up campaign that encourages everyone, from councils and businesses to schools and residents, to work together to help keep local communities clean and litter free.

This year the District Council is taking its Great British Spring Clean a step further and bringing a significant number activities and events to the district in its bid to make Newark and Sherwood cleaner, safer and greener. In addition to the tree planting events, the District Council are hosting a play park survey, the opening of the community garden on the land next to Newark Library, a Day of Action in Balderton, and various community litter picking events.

Find out more about the Great British Spring Clean: https://www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/latest-news/2023/february/the-great-british-spring-clean-is-returning/