On Wednesday 14th March at 11 am, the Chairman of Bassetlaw District Council, Councillor David Challinor, will plant a commemorative tree at The Canch Park, Worksop.

The ceremonial planting of a field maple, Acer Campestre ‘Queen Elizabeth’ will mark the start of a district-wide initiative which will see the planting of 6,000 young trees to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Following the formal planting, a number of local schools will join forces with the District Council to plant groups of indigenous trees at the following locations:

• Gateford Park with Gateford Park Primary School on Tuesday 13th March at 10.00am
• Sandhill Lake with Redlands Primary School on Thursday 15th March at 1:00pm
• Gateford Park with St John’s Primary on Friday 16th March at 10:00am
• Goosemoor Lane Playing Field with Carr Hill Primary School on Tuesday 20th March at 9:30am
• Leverton Road Playing Field with St Swithun’s Primary School on Tuesday 20th March at 1:45pm

In addition to the plantings providing a living memorial to mark the Queen’s 60 year reign, they will also over subsequent years enhance the environment by forming localised habitats for birds and other wildlife.

Bassetlaw’s planting project will culminate in November, towards the end of a year of celebration, with the planting of 2 urban woods. Proposed sites at South Parade, Worksop and Jubilee Road, Retford will accommodate indigenous tree species such as hawthorn, birch, hazel and oak to transform over 2 acres of the wasteland into diamond jubilee woods.

Finally, eight months after commencement this environmental project will be brought to a close with the planting of a second commemorative tree by the Chairman of Bassetlaw District Council in Kings Park, Retford.

The District Council’s Parks and Open Spaces Team have been working with the Woodland Trust to bring the Bassetlaw Tree Plantings into a nationwide initiative.

As part of the major scheme, each of Bassetlaw’s Planted sites will be entered onto a Royal Register which will be presented to Her Majesty at the end of her Diamond Jubilee Year.