Latest Queen’s Green Canopy planting launches Myerscough Arbor Day

The scheme is a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum last year, which invited people from across the United Kingdom to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee”.

At Myerscough, the initiative sees a new line of trees being planted at the College’s Lodge Farm, renewing trees along the King's Drive. Fifteen trees in total are being planted.

This week, a group of horticulture staff from Myerscough’s Witton Park campus in Blackburn joined greenspace staff and Chief Executive and Principal, Alison Robinson, to plant the latest tree at the site.

Duncan Slater, Senior Lecturer in Arboriculture at Myerscough College, said: ‘’Lodge Farm is the oldest royal farm in England - owned by the Crown for over 755 years. The original line of trees along this drive was removed in the late 19th Century to be replaced by a drainage ditch, before the College took over tenancy.

‘’For the farmland at the College, which spans around two square miles, this is like 'Ground Zero' - the start of replanting and greening the landscape at a meaningful scale - and let's hope this small 'explosion' of oaks, limes, maples and sweet chestnuts will be followed by further trees, hedgerows and even the creation of some wildlife refuges.

‘’Planting will be continuing on this line of trees. My many thanks must go to our three sponsors of this planting: The Mersey Forest and Tracy Clarke for the supply of the fifteen trees - and The Queen's Green Canopy for funding the cattle enclosures necessary for achieving this planting in-field. Many thanks also go to the many agriculture and countryside students that have built the enclosures, and their tutors too.’’

Alison Robinson, Chief Executive and Principal, said: ‘’There hasn’t been a new tree planted on this land for more than half a century and at a time when we have a climate emergency, it’s even more critical that we do things like this to help support our planet.

‘’We’ve planted more than five thousand trees at Myerscough over the last three years, as well as developing the first ever Arbor Day in the UK, so this is another part of a celebration of all things trees.’’

The latest planting marks the launch of next week’s Myerscough annual Careers Event and Arbor Day.

The aim of the event is to inspire our students to consider new opportunities and to develop their career management and employability skills.

Meanwhile, the fourth Arbor Day UK is an event to celebrate all things trees and arboriculture.

The day – on 8th February – will be a celebration of trees, those that work with trees (arborists), and recognition of an important global industry. Similar events exist across the world, notably in the USA, Canada and New Zealand, but although there is a National Tree Week in the UK, focusing specifically on planting initiatives, there is no official day that celebrates all things arboriculture.

The event will take place at Myerscough’s main Preston campus at Bilsborrow.

The day will feature a number of VIP guests, major industry guest speakers, as well as an official tree planting event at the centre of the College campus to mark the occasion. Work is already well underway on a new woodland area which is being created on campus, called ‘Arbor Day Wood’.

For more details, please email Senior Lecturer in Arboriculture, Duncan Slater, at dslater@myerscough.ac.uk