RAINBOWS, Brownies and Guides planted a bank of fruit bearing trees for the Queen’s Green Canopy along Jubilee Walk in Parkinson’s Park on Sunday, December 4, 2022.

The late Queen Elizabeth decided that her legacy for her Platinum Jubilee would be a nurturing Green Canopy of native trees for the United Kingdom.

The Woodland Trust, as a partner in this scheme, has been donating packs of whips to local groups to plant and register as part of the canopy so that as many people as possible could take part in building this legacy for the future.

The local Girlguiding organisation approached Friend’s of Parkinson’s Park and asked if they could plant a part of the Queen’s Green Canopy in the Park.

Jennifer Kirkby, Director and Vice Chair of Friends of Parkinson's Park CIC said: "We already had a bank of trees on Jubilee Walk that were planted for the Diamond Jubilee in 2012, and decided that this could be added to for the latest Jubilee, and then registered.

"This also fitted in well with our plan to focus on the Queen’s Green Canopy in 2022 – little knowing what an historic year it would turn out to be. At the Jubilee Picnic we dedicated the Jubilee Oak, and commissioned a special story about the local area, its people and trees throughout our history. We’ve now published this as a souvenir booklet for the historic year.

"But back to the December planting: in all, we had girls (and their families) from 13 different local Girlguiding groups come and plant a tree each along the Walk. The trees were elder, blackthorn, hazel, dog rose, and rowan – all good fruit producing trees for wildlife, that look attractive too with early blossom and autumn fruit. These fitted in well with the trees already there.

"As a further 2022 addition, participants also planted daffodils around the Park that had been donated by Meadfleet – including some around the Jubilee Tree.

"Thank you to all the groups involved – you are all guardians of the future."

Girlguiding Groups who took park were: 1st Yeadon Rainbows; 1st Reva Rainbows; 1st Guiseley Brownies; 2nd Guiseley Guides; 2nd Yeadon Rainbows; 5th Yeadon Brownies; 2nd Rawdon Rainbows; 2nd Rawdon Brownies; 1st Esholt Guides; 2nd Reva Rainbows; 2nd Guiseley Brownies; 1st Rawdon Brownies; 1st Rawdon Guides.