Queen's Commonwealth Canopy


The Queen's Commonwealth Canopy is an initiative begun in 2015 as a network of forest conservation programmes throughout the 53 countries of the Commonwealth of Nations. By 2016, 16 countries had become involved, and by 2019 the number was 46.

Origins

The idea was conceived by UK Member of Parliament Frank Field in the 2000s, but was met by apathy from the political establishment. When he raised the idea at a Buckingham Palace meeting the concept found support from Queen Elizabeth II.

Launch

The initiative was officially launched at the 2015 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta. Its aim is to establish a global network of protected woodland. The three organisations behind the project are The Royal Commonwealth Society, the Commonwealth Forestry Association, and Cool Earth.

Progress

In April 2018, ITV broadcast The Queen's Green Planet, highlighting many of the initiatives around the world, interspersed with footage of The Queen and Sir David Attenborough discussing trees in Buckingham Palace's gardens. By this time, more than 40 countries had committed to taking part in the initiative. By mid-2019, the number had reached 46 countries.

Projects

CountryLocationApprox. areaQCC link
AngolaLuengue-Luiana National Parkunknown
Antigua and BarbudaVictoria Park Botanical Gardens
AustraliaBulburin National Park
AustraliaForests of K’gari
AustraliaPapua New Guinea – North
AustraliaTwenty million treesunknown
The BahamasBlue Hole Conservation Forest32,774 acres
BangladeshPirgonj Reserve Forest500 acres
BarbadosTurner’s Hall Wood
BelizeChiquibul Forest423,000 acres
BotswanaThotayamarula Forest Conservation Area
Brunei DarussalamBerakas Forest Reserve
Brunei DarussalamPulau Selirong Forest Reserve
Brunei DarussalamUlu Temburong National Park
CameroonSangmelima Training and Research Forest13,500 ha
CanadaGreat Bear Rainforest, British Columbia
CyprusTroodos National Forest Park
DominicaDominican forests
FijiEmalu
FijiColo-i-Suva Forest Park
GhanaCape Three Points Forest Reserve
Grenada
GuyanaKanashen Amerindian Protected Area
JamaicaDolphin Head Forest Reserve
KiribatiAranuka Mangrove Preservationunknown
MalawiChimaliro Forest Reserveunknown
MalawiLiwonde National Park
MalawiMangochi Forest Reserve
MalaysiaRaja Musa Forest Reserve
MaltaVerdala Palace rehabilitation project
Mauritius Black River Gorges National Park
Mauritius Ilot Gabriel Nature Reserveunknown
NamibiaN/a’an ku sê Forest Conservation Revegetation Projectunknown
New ZealandThe Queen Elizabeth II National Trustunknown
NigeriaIITA Tree Heritage Parkunknown
NigeriaKawari Forest Reserve
PakistanSustainable Forest Management7 areas
Papua New GuineaOrangerie Bay
RwandaArboretum of Ruhande
Saint Kitts and NevisCentral Forest Reserve
Saint LuciaCastries Water Works Reserve
Saint Vincent and The Grenadines
SamoaO le Pūpū Puē National Parkunknown
SeychellesSeychellesunknown
Sierra LeoneTacugama Reserve
SingaporeSingapore Botanic Gardens
SingaporeBukit Timah
South AfricaKnysna and Tsitsikama forest complex
Sri LankaRestoration of Trincomalee forest land
Tonga'Eua National Parkunknown
Trinidad and TobagoArena Forest Reserve
TuvaluThe Queen Elizabeth II Parkunknown
UgandaMount Elgonunknown
United KingdomEpping Forest, Essex and Greater London
United KingdomCoed Gwent / Wentwood, Monmouthshire
United KingdomNational Forest, English Midlands
United KingdomForest of Marston Vale
Zambia