All 420 Queen's Canopy saplings die after dry summer destroys community woodland

Trees planted by volunteers in Higham Ferrers to mark Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee will have to be replaced following the hot summer that saw all 420 saplings – and one called ‘Dave’ – perish.

Residents including schoolchildren and members of the Community Payback team had planted the trees to form part of the Queen’s Green Canopy project in the Higham Heights park area.

But the trees – one named Dave after a Community Payback supervisor – will now be replaced by Higham Town Council.

A Higham Town Council spokesman said: “Unfortunately, and rather disappointingly, the saplings planted did not survive, aside a few. The time of planting combined with the dry summer was not in our favour.”

Replacement trees have now been ordered from the Woodland Trust with 100 saplings scheduled for delivery later this month to be planted in the parkland area that overlooks the Nene Valley.

The Higham Town Council spokesman added: "The grass has been mown in preparation for the planting. We have approximately 100 saplings coming, we will see how these fare, with our intention to order more for Autumn 2024.”

During the Queen’s Green Canopy project 14 new woods were created with 1,000 acres being planted with 500,000 trees.