York celebrates the Queen's Jubilee with a Diamond Wood
Posted on 2 April 2012
The University’s Diamond Wood is the only one of its kind in North Yorkshire.
A 24 hectare site on the University’s new Heslington East campus at Kimberlow Hill has been chosen by the Woodland Trust to be one of just 60 Diamond Woods in the UK – one for each year of Her Majesty’s reign - under its Jubilee Woods project.
We are working with colleagues at the Woodland Trust to create something very special which we believe will provide a fabulous local resource
Elizabeth Heaps
The area of new native woodland will form a lasting, living legacy celebrating Her Majesty’s reign, as well as supporting local wildlife and providing an area for the York community to enjoy for generations to come.
So far, more than 16,700 trees – all native to the British Isles – have been planted. The trees represent a wide range of species including field maple, alder, hornbeam, ash, wild cherry, oak, mountain ash, yew, lime, hawthorn, holly, crab apple and blackthorn. Together they will form a mixed deciduous woodland, which should attract a broad range of insect and bird life, and develop an interesting woodland ground flora.
Elizabeth Heaps, the University’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Estates and Strategic Projects, said: “It is a great honour to have been chosen to create a Diamond Wood in Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee year. We are working with colleagues at the Woodland Trust to create something very special which we believe will provide a fabulous local resource, helping inspire a love of trees and woods.”
To celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the Woodland Trust aims to bring millions of people together across the UK to plant six million trees. With Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal as Patron and the Queen’s backing, the Jubilee Woods project will create hundreds of Jubilee Woods in addition to the 60 special Diamond Woods.
Georgina McLeod, Project Head at the Woodland Trust, said "We are absolutely delighted that the University of York has chosen to create a prestigious Diamond Wood. We very much hope that this inspires other landowners and communities to join us in paying a very special tribute to the Queen, while at the same time creating something living and lasting to hand on to future generations.
“Not only is this a chance to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee but it’s also a chance for people to improve their local environment and create somewhere for residents to enjoy and be part of. In just 10 years the trees will be taller than the average person and the woodland will be full of wildlife for many people to enjoy.”
The new Diamond Wood at Kimberlow Hill forms part of the landscaping for the University’s £750 million campus extension at Heslington East, one of the biggest capital developments in UK higher education in recent years.
Notes to editors:
- In the last decade, the rate of native tree planting in the UK has fallen significantly, contributing to a steep and rapid decline in woodland. The UK is one of the least wooded countries in Europe with just 13 per cent cover against the European average of 44 per cent.
- For more information on the Woodland Trust’s Jubilee Woods project visit www.jubileewoods.org.uk
- The University of York’s £750 million campus extension at Heslington East is one of the biggest capital developments in UK higher education in recent years. Its development was supported by investment from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in Yorkshire and the Humber, part of a major infrastructure project led by Science City York to extend the assets and strategic potential of York as a leading centre for science and innovation. Visit www.york.ac.uk/campus-development/
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