Suitable site is sought to plant trees for Commonwealth project
THE public’s help is being sought to find a suitable location in the Inverness area to plant five trees as part of a UK-wide project sparked by the Queen.
The Inverness Courier has joined forces with city MP Drew Hendry who is among more than 500 MPs who will be planting trees as part of the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy, a network of forest conservation projects to mark her service to the Commonwealth.
The trees – two silver birch, two rowan, and a hazel – have been donated in a partnership between the Woodland Trust, Sainsbury’s and ITV which screened The Queen’s Green Planet, earlier this year.
Mr Hendry, SNP MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, is keen to invte suggestions for possible locations and has joined forces with the Inverness Courier as it marks its 200th anniversary.
People have a week to submit their suggested location and why it deserves to be picked. The Courier will then run an online vote of shortlisted ideas.
Potential sites could include schools, community spaces, forgotten corners, existing woodland areas, or perhaps somewhere to mark the 70th anniversary of the NHS or the centenary of the end of WWI.
Mr Hendry said trees played an important part in shaping communities and it was fitting the public should get the chance to suggest a site.
“Planting of these trees, as part of the Courier’s 200 anniversary celebrations, is symbolic of the paper itself, and the roots it has in our community for the last two hundred years," he said.
"Trees are an important part of our natural and cultural heritage, and to our local economy. We are home to Forestry Scotland HQ, and The Scottish School of Forestry and of course, my colleague Fergus Ewing MSP, is also the cabinet minister responsible for forestry.
"Trees are also play a big part in shaping our communities, therefore it is fitting that members of the public, schools and communities get the opportunity to nominate a place where these trees can be planted, as part of the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy, and to mark the Inverness Courier’s 200 years milestone.”
Suggestions should be sent to drew.hendry.mp2@parliament.uk by Friday, October 12.
