The Queen’s Green Canopy Competition
Once upon a time there was a Queen that loved the trees.
Kings and Queens of the United Kingdom have been always linked to trees.
A myth tells the story of when Elizabeth I was declared queen in 1558, she was supposed sitting under an oak tree on the ground of Hatfield House. Also, estate records show that Queen Elizabeth I rested and took lunch under an oak in 1591 during a hunting trip to Cowdray Estate deer park. One of the largest and oldest sessile oak trees in the UK, this oak is still living and is estimated to be around 1,000 years old.
The Royal Oak is the tree within which King Charles II hid to escape the Roundheads following the Battle of Worcester in 1651. The tree was located in Boscobel Wood, which was part of the park of Boscobel House. Today, the lost oak pasture has been restored including trees propagated from the original Royal Oak.
Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s consort, is usually credited with having introduced the Christmas tree into England in 1840. However, the honour of establishing this tradition in the United Kingdom rightfully belongs to ‘good Queen Charlotte’, the German wife of George III, who set up the first known English tree at Queen’s Lodge, Windsor, in December, 1800.
Late Queen Elizabeth II has planted more than 1,500 trees all over the world, and has spoken alongside Sir David Attenborough of the importance of trees in the Earth’s future.
The Queen’s Green Canopy
The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) is a unique, UK-wide tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022, by inviting people to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee.” The Queen sadly passed away in September, however she left an important legacy to Her Kingdom, and enriching the country with new plants is the best way to honor her memory.
Malvern Panalytical’s contribution
The Green Team at Malvern Panalytical is sustaining this project by planting 10 trees before the end of 2022. Since we like fun and competition, we asked the employees at UK sites to contribute with their ideas.
Would they like to give a plant a name? Sure they do! To win this opportunity, they had to provide:
- A name for a tree.
- A list of “green” tasks that they carry out daily to help the environment.
- An original “artistic” creation related to Mother Nature and the environment.
A few teams, such as “Shiver Me Timbers”, “Redwoods” and “Mighty Oaks”, accepted the challenge and let their creativity fly! We received poems, sculptures, and also a story for children narrated by a beautiful voice! All the participants committed to change something in their daily routine and live a more sustainable life: recycling, reuse, buying local and using hybrid cars and e-bikes. Some people sacrificed holiday abroad and preferred not to take an airplane.
The Queen’s Green Canopy Committee will choose the winners soon. We are looking forward to share the results with all MP employees across the UK and to plant our first tree in November!
