Town MP helps to plant saplings to mark Royal project in Kirkcaldy

Kirkcaldy MP Lesley Laird has been marking the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy initiative by planting tree saplings in the town's Beveridge Park.
By The Newsroom
Published 16th Nov 2018, 09:38 BST
Updated 16th Nov 2018, 10:39 BST
Lesley Laird MP planted five tree saplings to mark the Queens Commonwealth Canopy, watched by pupils from Kirkcaldy West PS, representatives from Greener Kirkcaldy and Growing Kirkcaldy. Pic: Walter NeilsonLesley Laird MP planted five tree saplings to mark the Queens Commonwealth Canopy, watched by pupils from Kirkcaldy West PS, representatives from Greener Kirkcaldy and Growing Kirkcaldy. Pic: Walter Neilson
Lesley Laird MP planted five tree saplings to mark the Queens Commonwealth Canopy, watched by pupils from Kirkcaldy West PS, representatives from Greener Kirkcaldy and Growing Kirkcaldy. Pic: Walter Neilson

The event, held last Friday, was attended by local councillors, community group representatives and pupils from Kirkcaldy West PS and it commemorates Her Majesty’s lifetime service to the Commonwealth.

The pack of tree saplings contained five UK-sourced and grown native broad leaf trees – two Silver Birch, two Rowan and one Hazel – and were donated through a partnership between the Woodland Trust, Sainsbury’s and ITV, which in April screened a landmark documentary, The Queen’s Green Planet.

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The programme featured the Queen in conversation with Sir David Attenborough in the gardens of Buckingham Palace and spoke of her little-known love of trees.

This legacy project – a UK-wide forest conservation initiative – will see over 500 MPs across the UK plant a tree in their constituency.

Lesley said she was delighted to be part of the initiative: “It was an honour to plant these trees in Beveridge Park, a park which I’m sure many residents would agree is already a jewel in the crown of Kirkcaldy.

“This initiative honours the Queen’s life-long dedication to serving the Commonwealth but also the importance of conserving our woodland and trees for future generations. It will be marvellous to see these trees grow over the years, knowing they form part of the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy legacy.”

The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy project was launched at the 2015 Commonwealth conference in Malta and is aimed at creating new forests and plantations of trees in the 53 member countries.

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