https://queensgreencanopy.org

Trees take CO2 from the atmosphere as they grow. This helps reduce the greenhouse gases that have helped warm our atmosphere and led to increasing world climate chaos. Growing trees help combat climate change.

Trees also provide homes and food for insects and birds. In the last 50 years, populations of once common birds have reduced and this is partly due to loss of suitable habitat.

People usually feel better when they can see greenery, particularly trees. Even a few trees can add amenity value to our green spaces.

Over a year later and our various tree sapling planted areas have had variable sucess.

10 to Kilmundy steading shared garden were all planted at one end and are thought to be surviving.

10 to the Toll Community Centre were not planted along the fence as expected, but close to the path. All but one seem to have been damaged by vandalism or grass cutting.

10 to Duncanson Drive play area: One was immediately taken away by persons unknown. The other 9 were lost to drought and damage by grass cutting.

Piper Crescent park: Scouts planted in three areas and although there have been losses, the majority survive.

Meadowfield: Primary 7 children planted in two D shapes. Some were lost to curiosity, minor vandalism and grass cutting but the majority survive. Someone recently removed all the protective tree spirals and it would now damage the saplings to try to replace these.

Dick Cres/Broomhill Ave park: These suffered much interference and petty vandalism. About half of those by the play equipment survive and most of those along the dry roadside bank.

Beacon pitch verge: These all died following persistent interference, minor vandalism and drought. It's possible that the underlying soil conditions were poor.

Haugh Rd verge: These had to compete with 'wild plants'. Initially they did surprisingly well, being protected from the dry summer of 2022. However, they had to compete with vigorous existing plants and it's unclear until that foliage dies back how many of the saplings have survived.

4 to Cotburn Cres bank were left undisturbed and are doing OK.

Cotburn Cres old park: Some of those at the west end did OK but most of those in a line along the wall were damaged by grass cutting and died.

Green space east end of Broomhill Ave: Brownies planted here and nearly all have survived drought, grass cutting and minor vandalism.

The Queen's Green Canopy celebrated HM Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee by providing a lasting living legacy that will help combat climate change, provide homes for nature, and add amenity to our neighbourhoods.

Lots of local people have helped with the QGC community tree planting in Burntisland. Neighbours, volunteers, members of local community groups, school children, and members of local youth organisations all had fun learning the T-notch sapling planting method.

Fife Council Grounds Maintenance Service supported the planting. The landowners retain responsibility. Young native saplings like these don’t require much after-care. Any future maintenance of mature trees will be by the landowners, including Fife Council for eight of the ten sites.

About half of these baby trees in the photo survive.

Many local people said how much they valued the new trees in their part of town and many tried to keep an eye on them e.g. replacing spirals and canes taken out. Thank you.

There may be opportunities to top up those lost with new saplings planted.

The Woodland Trust provided free small tree saplings to community groups for the Queen's Green Canopy - 'whips'.

We ordered 420 tree saplings for community planting around ten areas of Burntisland. The idea was not to plant a woodland, but to add amenity value to our green spaces by growing small groups of native trees. These have been put in lines, or small groups or copses of between five and sixty plus baby trees.

We chose the Woodland Trust 'Year-round colour' group of trees. These are small or medium sized native tree species that are visually attractive with blossom, colourful leaves, berries, or bark. These are: silver birch, wild cherry, hazel, hawthorn, rowan, and dogwood.

For more information please see: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees/schools-and-communities

The CAP update community consultation showed how much people value local green spaces and how much concern people in Burntisland have for the enviornment, climiate change and biodiversity.

It seems that there is continued local interest in community tree and hedge planting. Even if not all of our whip saplings survive, we can stay positive about those that do flourish.

You need to be optimistic to plant trees! It's the children and grandchildren who will benefit most from them.

And planting is a lot of fun!

Hopefully, local community groups and neighbours can get together this winter to continue to look at possible planting sites or top up those lost.