A significant event took place in Milton Keynes this week. Camphill MK welcomed guests representing King Charles II, the Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, and key dignitaries from the county to plant a royal tree.
Created as the centrepiece of Her Majesty’ Platinum Jubilee weekend celebrations, as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) Initiative, the Tree of Trees stood tall as a message of hope, regeneration and optimism to our nation and the word.
Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, the QGC “Tree of Trees” sculpture sought to put the importance of trees at the heart of this historic milestone to celebrate Her Majesty, who planted over 1,500 trees all over the world throughout her 70-year reign.
The trees were set in aluminium pots embossed with Her Majesty’s cypher in order that they could be gifted to selected community groups and organisations to celebrate their work and inspire the next generation of tree planters across the nation.
The 300 trees were gifted to groups across the UK, with just one ending up in Milton Keynes. Camphill MK received an Alder tree which was planted yesterday in front of dignitaries from across MK as well some of the 70 residents who live on site.
His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, The Countess Howe was delighted that the late Queen’s remarkable legacy should be remembered in this way and was pleased to plant the tree in the grounds of Camphill.
The event was attended by designers from the Heatherwick Studios, the High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire and Mayor of Milton Keynes.
“We are excited and honoured to have been chosen as a recipient of a Tree of Trees. Camphill has long standing traditions of care for the environment and our connection with the land is something that we all treasure, many of our 70 disabled residents taking part in our gardening and horticulture activity every day. The food and produce that we grow in our gardens is eaten in our houses and served in our vegetarian café. We are deeply proud to have been selected by the Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire and look forward to our planting ceremony in the coming weeks. Our Tree of Trees tree will stand proud alongside recently planted 100 Queen’s Green Canopy trees”.
As part of the event, Roger Jefcoate CBE DL also gifted the charity a Black Poplar, cut from one of the established trees on the Sandringham Estate. The Poplar is now growing next to the pond in Camphill’s orchard. The Black Poplar is Britain’s rarest native timber tree and can take 100 years to reach full maturity.
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