More than 16,000 trees have been planted in Worcestershire as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

At the latest count, 16,500 trees were planted across the county before the tree planting season finished at the end of March.

More will be planted in October when the planting season starts up again.

Worcestershire’s ‘Plant a Tree for the Jubilee’ programme was launched at St Barnabas CE Primary School in Worcester last October and county schools took full advantage of the Woodland Trust’s Free Trees for Schools and Communities Scheme. 

The Woodland Trust has provided schools and communities across the country with more than three million saplings in tree packs, available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Queen’s Green Canopy is a national project launched last year, aimed at encouraging the British Public to plant trees, in honour of the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.

Two sites at Bewdley and Norton for the council’s wider tree planting initiative are now home to 9,000 trees that have been planted across the last two planting seasons.

Worcester News: Lord lieutenant of Worcestershire, Lt Col Patrick Holcroft, plants a tree for the jubileeLord lieutenant of Worcestershire, Lt Col Patrick Holcroft, plants a tree for the jubilee

Georgina Britten-Long, a deputy lieutenant for Worcestershire - one of the Queen’s representatives in the county, said: “We have been thrilled at the enthusiasm people across the county have shown for this initiative, planting so many trees over the planting season.

“There are over 25,000 still waiting to be planted once the autumn season starts again.”

Councillor Tony Miller, cabinet member for the environment, said: “I’m really pleased that the county has come together to plant such a significant number of trees in celebration of Her Majesty The Queen’s 70 years on the throne.

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“I was really keen to contribute to the effort myself, so using my divisional fund I have distributed 10 Evergreen oak trees to be planted, one of which is in County Hall. The other nine are in the parishes that I represent.”

Those who have planted trees are encouraged to add them to the National Queen’s Green Canopy Map and to let the Lieutenancy know how many trees were planted by filling out their online Worcestershire tree planting form.