Gatley tree planting day to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee

Stockport Council and City of Trees are joining together with The Queen's Green Canopy Committee and Greater Manchester Combined Authority for a day of tree planting at Gatley Hill, Stockport on 4 December. The event will take place from 10am to 3pm.

The Queen's Green Canopy is a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 which will see hundreds of trees planted at the Gatley Hill site.

Greater Manchester is a Queen's Green Canopy 'Champion City' and will be the first city in the country to hold a ’Champion City’ planting day. Local people are encouraged to join one of multiple planting sessions across the day and come and help to create a legacy in honour of The Queen’s leadership of the nation, while creating a lasting impact on the area which will benefit future generations.

Tree planting at Gatley Hill is being delivered by City of Trees, Greater Manchester’s tree planting movement. The planting site is part of England’s woodland creation programme, Trees for Climate led by England’s Community Forests (of which City of Trees is the region’s community forest), and funded by the government’s Nature for Climate Fund.

City of Trees is planting trees to increase the region’s carbon storage as part of Greater Manchester’s target of becoming net zero by 2038 and to provide many other known benefits for people and wildlife.

Tree planting at Gatley Hill is particularly important for helping to intercept rainwater and increase infiltration into the ground, helping to reduce the volume of water entering the site’s adjacent brook - a known cause of flooding downstream in Gatley village.

Councillor Elise Wilson, Leader of Stockport Council, commented: “COP26 gave me the opportunity to share my pride in the people of Stockport. I told leaders from across the world about our One Stockport plan, our shared passion to be front and centre of climate change action, and our collective determination to ensure nobody is left behind by the costs of going green. It is clear we must act now and that we must act together. This project epitomises these aims. It is said the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago and the second best time is now. It is now. I urge people to get involved.”

Pete Stringer, GI Resilience Manager, from City of Trees, added: “It’s fitting that we are able to mark the Queen’s long service by planting a new woodland that will itself provide us with a whole host of benefits for many years to come. We hope that in another 70 years’ time the woodland at Gatley Hill will not only be a beautiful living reminder of Her Majesty’s reign but somewhere that will continue to be enjoyed by the local community and a haven for wildlife.”

Those wishing to attend the tree planting day are encouraged to bring their own spade and to wear warm, waterproof clothing and sturdy, closed-toe footwear.

To register for the event please visit www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-queens-green-canopy-tree-planting-day-tickets-200770137887.