Gerald Jones MP recently joined over 500 other MPs to plant trees as part of the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy, a network of forest conservation initiatives to mark Her Majesty’s lifetime of service to the Commonwealth.
The trees were planted in Cyfarthfa Park with Cyfarthfa Park Primary School and the Lord Lieutenant, Dame Kate Thomas, and in Greenfield Special School on Wednesday 7th November and in Parc Cwm Darren in Deri with Mayor Cllr Michael Adams from Caerphilly Council and students from Deri and Fochriw Primary Schools on Thursday 8th November.
They were donated to Gerald Jones MP, thanks to a partnership between the Woodland Trust, Sainsbury’s and ITV, which in April screened a landmark documentary, The Queen’s Green Planet, following Her Majesty the Queen and this ambitious legacy project which brings together her deeply held commitment to the Commonwealth and her little-known love of trees.
At the heart of the film was a conversation between the Queen and Sir David Attenborough filmed in the gardens of Buckingham Palace last summer. In a rare opportunity to see the Queen talking informally to Sir David, the conversation ranged from climate change, to conkers and of course trees, and was watched by 6.4 million viewers, making it ITV’s most watched factual programme of the year.
In support of the programme the Woodland Trust provided 50,000 trees for ITV viewers, and through Frank Field MP, who conceived the QCC initiative, also offered a special commemorative pack to every MP in the UK.
Gerald Jones MP, one of 508 MPs who took up the offer, said:
“I was delighted to join the Woodland Trust’s bid to plant trees as part of the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy. We all need trees. They are a cornerstone of our landscape and countryside, forming an essential and cherished part of our cultural identity.
“They are crucial in improving soil health and water quality, reducing carbon, trapping pollutants, slowing the flow of flood water, providing a home for wildlife or a space for us to breathe. I hope local residents will enjoy watching them flourish as part of this wonderful legacy initiative.”