More than 1,000 trees have been planted to mark a parish church’s 750th anniversary.
Parishioners of St Mary the Virgin church in Rickmansworth originally planned a series of events in 2020 to mark the appointment of its first vicar in around 1270.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in many of them being cancelled, a proposal by parishioner John Shaw to plant 750 trees has been completed with the help of local residents and Three Rivers District Council.
Timothy Tims, local resident said: “We started planting in February 2020 and have now gone beyond our original target of 750 and arranged for at least 1,050 trees to be planted. It’s been a great community venture, and we hope the trees will continue to mature over the years and serve as an attractive reminder of St Mary’s 750th anniversary in 2020.”
The trees were mainly supplied through the OVO energy ‘I Dig Trees’ scheme which is run by The Conservation Volunteers. Officers from Three Rivers District Council surveyed the area and identified a number of suitable sites for additional tree planting.
The council also offered St Mary’s two semi-mature Catalpa bignonioides trees (commonly called Indian bean tree). These have been planted in woodland owned by the council next to St Mary’s churchyard.
Cllr Sarah Nelmes, Leader of Three Rivers District Council, added: “Trees play a vital role in combating climate change and air pollution and make such a positive contribution to supporting people’s wellbeing. We are always keen to support projects in the district to plant and care for trees that will benefit the local community, visitors and future generations.”
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