Royal opening for Jubilee woodland

The Princess Royal yesterday officially opened a new community “Diamond Wood” in York as part of continuing celebrations to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The Woodland Trust chose the 60-acre site at Kimberlow Hill on York University’s new £750m Heslington East campus extension as one of 60 Diamond Woods in the UK – one for each year of the Queen’s reign.

As well as being an amenity for the local community, the area will provide a habitat for diverse flora and fauna.

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The Woodland Trust intends planting six million native trees across the UK as past of its Jubilee Woods project, providing a lasting, living legacy of the Queen’s reign.

Three million trees have already been planted with the target being met during the next planting season.

The Princess, who is the project’s patron, yesterday planted a ceremonial oak tree at the York University wood and officially declared it open.

So far, the university has planted 55,000 trees, all native to the British Isles, of which 23,000 form the Diamond Wood at Kimberlow Hill.

About 10,000 more are due to be planted there this autumn.

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The varieties include field maple, alder, hornbeam, ash, wild cherry, oak, mountain ash, yew, lime, hawthorn, holly, crab apple and blackthorn.

York University vice chancellor Professor Brian Cantor said: “It is a great honour to welcome Her Royal Highness to York.”

Georgina McLeod, head of Jubilee Woods at the Woodland Trust, said: “In just 10 years these trees will be taller than the average person and wonderful for wildlife.”

The Kimberlow Hill wood is part of the landscape at the university’s Heslington East campus extension which also includes a lake and wetlands.

University officials hope the combination will dramatically improve the biodiversity of the former arable land.

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