British racecourses will be celebrating The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee this year by planting trees, coppices or entire woods.
All 60 of Britain’s racecourses will be marking 60 years of The Queen’s reign as part of a national campaign by The Woodland Trust.
The Jubilee Woods Project hopes six million trees will be planted in 2012, along with hundreds of new woodlands and 60 Diamond Woods of at least 60 acres.
“We are delighted that all racecourses are participating in the campaign,” said Stephen Atkin, of the Racecourse Association.
“It is a mark of appreciation for the contribution The Queen makes to British horse racing as well as recognition of the importance of the environment and racecourses’ contribution to the wider community.”
Several racecourses have already started their planting programmes, with Sandown Park well on the way to completing an avenue of acers within its grounds.
Taunton is supporting the Buckingham Palace backed initiative by planting a coppice of birch which will provide sustainable fence building materials in years to come.
Hexham Racecourse will be planting a copse of Royal oaks, creating a lasting legacy for the Northumberland track. Haydock Park is planting 400 trees and Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire is planting 100.
At Aintree, a tree will be planted close to Becher’s Brook on the Grand National course.
Ffos Las in west Wales, has planted 45,000 birch, ash, rowan, hazel, oak and other native trees to create a new 60-acre Diamond Wood.
