News from the gardening world
‘Times of crisis can be times of opportunity’, Prince tells conference. By Simon Caney
Prince Charles has made an impassioned plea for a greater drive towards the planting of more trees – and he believes the present moment in time represents the perfect opportunity.
Speaking as he introduced a conference on reforestation for biodiversity, carbon capture and livelihoods at the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, the Prince said: “I believe we now find ourselves presented with a unique opportunity to catalyse change towards a sustainable, nature-based path. The tragedy of the pandemic has sharpened the world’s attention towards the problems we face, and the world’s corporations are, at last, waking up to the need urgently to reset their operating models.” The conference looked at the pitfalls of planting the wrong trees in the wrong place – for example, some create such a thick canopy they actually lock in heat into the soil. It concluded with 10 ‘golden rules’ to ensure reforestation happens in a way that the planet can get the maximum benefit.
HRH said: “The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation has estimated that about 13 million hectares of the world’s forests are lost due to deforestation each year. Although there is increasing awareness of the issue, the loss of the world’s natural forests has accelerated in recent years, with disastrous consequences for climate change, rural communities and global biodiversity.
“As our planet is embroiled in this deepening crisis, it is vital that more trees are planted – in the right places – and that more woodlands are created and established, while ensuring we also protect and sustain what we already have. It is essential, too, that we plant the right species; for example, those with specific ecosystem benefits, such as the fixing of nitrogen, pollution filtration, flood-risk reduction and watershed protection.”
He continued: “We should not underestimate the importance of trees in the wider environment. During my lifetime I have witnessed the catastrophic loss of field trees, hedges and hedgerow trees, and orchards. At last we are beginning to learn what a vital role trees do actually play in The National Trust has announced a five-year plan to plant ‘blossom circles’ of trees across the UK, signalling reflection and hope in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The plan is to create beautiful green spaces in and around urban areas to connect more people to nature. It follows a report last year which highlighted 295 urban ‘grey deserts’ in the country with no trees or accessible green space at all. The blossom plan is set to emulate the Japanese Hanami season.
The site for the first blossom circle will be Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, featuring 33 UK-grown blossom trees, including cherry, plum, hawthorn and crab apple.
Hilary McGrady, Director General at the National Trust, said: “As we create more and more spaces we also want to embed annual blossom moments or celebrations in the nation’s cultural calendar.”
the farming landscape. History shows that times of crisis are often also times of opportunity for creativity and innovation which, when harnessed to investment, can transform even the darkest prospects into a brighter future.”