Duke of Gloucester plants Queen’s Green Canopy Wanstead Flats trees

I was delighted to finish 2022 by planting new trees as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy campaign, including a grove of 70 silver birches on Wanstead Flats.

Last month, on what turned out to be the coldest day of the year, HRH the Duke of Gloucester, Ranger of Epping Forest, braved his way across the snowy plains to plant the last few silver birches.

The grove was originally planned to commemorate the platinum jubilee of Her late Queen Elizabeth II. However, after the death of the empress, the site was dedicated to her memory.

As you may know, Wanstead Flats is technically in the London Borough of Redbridge, but sits right on the border between the London Boroughs of Newham and Waltham Forest and is well used by each of these communities.

I was delighted to get the mayors and first citizens of each local authority together to plant one of the trees next to the ranger. We had a lot of help from the City of London cadets and the North East Sector Army, who planted many trees in difficult conditions.

Earlier in December I also joined Deputy Lieutenant Essex and the Mayor of Epping in planting a new tree on Epping Green.

It was great to see so many people supporting the Queen’s Green Canopy and helping to improve the environment.

However, I hope that in 2023, people will realize that, like that familiar phrase, “dogs aren’t just for Christmas,” trees require a lot of care and maintenance. With over a million trees in Epping Forest to protect and keep safe and healthy, our budget is running out fast.

Of course, with the new year comes the dreaded resolutions, but I’m happy to say that we have tons of ways to help you stay active for little or no cost.

Whether it’s a round of golf at Chingford, a game of football at Wanstead Flats, a game of cricket at Woodford or Epping, rowing boats at Leyton, or simply an escape to enjoy the tranquility of our 8,000 acres of green space – on foot, cycle or horse – Epping Forest is here for you.

If you want to escape the cold or wet weather, why not visit our latest exhibition at Chingford Visitor Center ‘Famous Forest Figures’. There are many famous people who have taken advantage of the ancient landscape in the past, such as the social reformer Elizabeth Fry, the artist Sir Jacob Epstein and the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson.

As always, our staff at the Visitor Center are ready to help you make the most of your time in the woods. Admission to the Center is free and open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Or you can find lots of useful information on our website www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/eppingforest

I wish you all a happy and healthy new year.

• Ben Murphy is chairman of the Epping Forest and Commons committee of the City of London Corporation