Despite it pouring with rain, I was pleased to visit West Byfleet Infant School recently to help a 6 year old pupil, Harry Harris, and his classmates plant trees in the school field as part of the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy initiative.

The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy will hopefully be a network of forest conservation initiatives to mark Her Majesty’s lifetime of service to the Commonwealth.  Our planting in West Byfleet was not the only tree planting that take place in Woking Borough to support the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy – trees have also been planted in the green and open space by the relatively new Brookwood Farm development in Knaphill.

It is a huge understatement to say that we all need trees – they are a cornerstone of our landscape and countryside.  They are crucial in improving soil health and water quality, reducing carbon, trapping pollutants, slowing the flow of flood water, sheltering livestock, providing a home for wildlife or a space for us to breathe.  I hope the residents across Woking will enjoy watching these tree flourish as part of this wonderful legacy initiative.

The new woodland at Brookwood Farm has been created just in time for National Tree Week, during which Woking Borough Council’s Arboricultural Officers will be raising awareness of the Council’s new Tree Strategy and Management Policy by giving out saplings to visitors to Woking Town Centre.  The sapling trees will be handed out along Mercia Walk in Woking Town Centre between 11 am and 3 pm on Wednesday 28th November.