Whitehead in County Antrim is set to sparkle with a precious new addition. Land on the doorstep of the seaside village will be the Northern Ireland venue for a new 'Diamond Wood' to mark the Queen's 60 years on the throne.
Sixty new Diamond Woods - each 60 acres in size, plus hundreds of smaller Jubilee Woods are being created across the UK as part of the Woodland Trust's ambitious Jubilee Woods project. The aim is to plant 6 million trees and to involve millions of people in the planting.
The County Antrim gem - just over 60 acres of improved grassland - has been made available by Carrickfergus Borough Council and sits amid a patchwork of fields and pockets of woodland to the north of Whitehead.
The Mayor of Carrickfergus, Alderman Jim McClurg, says: "The creation of this Diamond Wood brings a special opportunity for everyone to make a personal and lasting contribution to the landscape, while marking an historic event. Working with the Woodland Trust, we hope that as many people as possible - members of the public and schoolchildren - will take part in a series of events next spring. Within as little as 10 years, the trees will be towering over the tallest of walkers and we'll have a flourishing woodland, rich in wildlife. We envisage a fantastic natural resource for the benefit of local people and, of course, visitors en route to the Antrim coast."
The project will commemorate the 2012 Diamond Jubilee, marking Queen Elizabeth's 60th year as monarch. Next to Queen Victoria in 1897, she is the only British sovereign ever to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee.
The Woodland Trust hopes to encourage other landowners to plant their own Diamond or Jubilee Wood, and is offering help, advice and in some cases funding. The Trust is also offering thousands of free Jubilee tree packs to schools and community groups. Designed to help groups enhance local shared spaces, the community tree packs come in two sizes: 105 trees (suitable for a small grove or hedge) or 420 trees (for planting on one acre of land). Groups can choose to plant for wildlife; for wood fuel; year-round colour; or tasty treats. To find out how to get involved, please contact the Woodland Creation team on 0845 293 5680.
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