Sustainability Partnerships Securing Jersey’s Woodlands For The Future

Jersey Electricity (JE) was delighted to join forces with the National Trust for Jersey in support of The Queen’s Green Canopy project and the Parish Earth Partnership, two projects focused on increasing woodland cover across the Island.

The Parish Earth Partnership is an initiative between the 12 parishes and Jersey Electricity to plant and maintain native trees and shrubs to increase biodiversity and aid carbon sequestration over the long term. Jersey Electricity committed £5k per parish (£60k in total) to buy trees, shrubs and to pay for other direct costs.

The Queen’s Green Canopy is the nationwide initiative created to mark the Platinum Jubilee and, together with The National Trust, JE aims to plant 700 trees and 700 shrubs as part of this initiative.

In May 2022, the former LieutenantGovernor and his wife, Lady Dalton, joined sponsors and supporters to plant seven ceremonial trees at a new site on Bouley Bay Hill, kindly donated to the Trust by Rupert and Anna Bradstock (known as Le Don Bradstock) and in January, a team of volunteers from JE returned to Bouley Bay with The National Trust for Jersey to continue planting trees at the site.

Volunteers from JE, including CEO Chris Ambler, the National Trust for Jersey's Lands team and Mr and Mrs Bradstock spent an afternoon planting 120 trees that will grow into a dense woodland area creating natural corridors for local wildlife and birds. It is hoped that, as the trees mature, they will help to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, a process known as carbon sequestration.

JE CEO Chris Ambler explained, ‘The Parish Earth Partnership aims to effect lasting change in every parish by increasing biodiversity and aiding carbon sequestration, which is one of several measures being taken to aid the Island’s journey to reducing its carbon emissions. We are pleased to combine our Parish Earth Partnership efforts in support of The Queen’s Green Canopy project to boost local biodiversity, create natural corridors for wildlife and contribute to a cleaner environment now and into the future.

‘Thank you in particular to Mr and Mrs Bradstock for donating the land to The Queen’s Green Canopy project and JE’s Parish Earth Partnership. Sustainability partnerships like this highlight just how much can be achieved when several initiatives and sponsors come together to make a positive difference to our environment.’

The National Trust’s Lands Manager Jon Parkes said, ‘Our hope is that a beautiful rich woodland will be standing tall providing shelter and food for wildlife in another 70 years’ time. Many of Jersey’s trees are now ageing so this planting programme will create succession in the area’s existing woodland cover, providing diversity in age, height and structure.’

Teams from JE are looking forward to returning to the site to continue planting the woodland during 2023.