Woodland Trust
Rory met with Heather Swift, site manager, and Lee Bruce of the Woodland Trust at Miltonrigg Woods near Brampton on Friday, to discuss the charity’s work in woodland conservation and its plans to pay tribute to Her Majesty The Queen on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee this year with the planting of 6 million native trees in the UK.
Rory arranged the visit to Miltonrigg ahead of the next meeting of his own forestry and woodlands ‘think-tank’, which will meet on Friday January 20th to discuss the interim progress report from the Independent Panel on Forestry. At Miltonrigg, Rory learned of the Woodland Trust’s work in restoring ancient woodlands, encouraging habitat regeneration and working with local environmental groups and landowners, and pledged to help locate sites for the Trust’s Diamond Jubilee initiative to plant 6 million native trees to celebrate the milestone event this year.
Rory said: “Miltonrigg Woods are a great example of the Woodland Trust’s work in native woodland conservation, which I wholeheartedly endorse. They take an intuitive approach to the layout of their woods, reflecting its heritage and its native habitat. There are some particularly stunning birch and oak trees here. I am also delighted to be supporting them this year in particular, when the spotlight will once again be on our forests and woodlands and the importance of public access and education. Their work is an inspiration to me, and I personally will do all I can to help find sites for Diamond Woods in Penrith and the Border; it would be wonderful if one of the 60 Diamond Woods could have its home here in Cumbria.”
Lee Bruce for The Woodland Trust said: “The trees and woods that we intend to plant will both celebrate the Diamond Jubilee and establish a living legacy for generations to come. At the pinnacle of the project will be the creation of 60 very special Diamond Woods of at least 60 acres, each representing a year of Her Majesty’s reign. A feature on each of these woods will be included in a commemorative report to The Queen and the Government at the end of the project. There will also be hundreds of smaller Jubilee Woods created and community tree plantings across the country. Most of the woods will receive funding from the Forestry Commission’s standard English Woodland Grant Scheme and some will be almost fully funded by additional contributions from the ‘quality of place’ element.”
Picture below. Heather Swift, Rory and Lee Bruce at Miltonrigg Woods
