Positively blooming: Japanese flowering cherry trees planted at BGS Keyworth to mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee
The walkway of eight trees has been planted in the grounds of BGS headquarters in Keyworth to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's 70 years on the throne.
31/05/2022 By BGS Press
A walkway of eight Japanese Amanogawa pink flowering cherry trees, chosen for their colourful ornamental blooms, has been planted in the grounds of BGS in Keyworth, in celebration of the Queen’s platinum jubilee. The walkway has been created as part of a project called the Queen’s Green Canopy, a nationwide campaign to encourage people to ‘plant a tree for the jubilee’.
A special bench and plaque will be installed near the trees to mark the celebrations in honor of Queen Elizabeth II’s 70th year on the throne.
The Japanese Amanogawa pink flowering cherry is well known for its beautiful and delicate flower display in May and June. The young leaves are a greenish-bronze and, around autumn, they develop a red, orange or yellow tinge. In the years to come, they will develop into spectacular trees and will be a fitting tribute to the Queen’s legacy as the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum jubilee.

A mature Japanese cherry tree in full bloom. Image by Hans Braxmeier from Pixabay.
The flowers of the Amanogawa (like all plants) contain pollen and nectar, which is used by insects such as bees, butterflies and beetles, as well as small birds. It is hoped that, as the trees mature, they will create a safe and relaxing natural canopy for wildlife, employees and visitors to the site.
The walkway will create a green legacy of its own, with every tree planted bringing benefits for people, wildlife and climate, now and for the future.
BGS Chief Scientist for Environmental Change, Adaptation and Resilience, Melanie Leng.
The planting of the walkway furthers BGS’s development of its sustainability strategy, designed to help BGS reduce its environmental impact through a series of commitments across its estates, travel and working practices, whilst staying at the cutting edge of research.

The Grand Bug Hotel at Keyworth. © Melanie Leng.
In recent months, BGS has joined forces with local community volunteers to develop the Mary Ward Nature Area, a small patch of woodland that runs behind the BGS site at Keyworth, accessed from Platt Lane. Over 12 000 spring bulbs were planted, providing a haven for wild animals, insects and birds. A Grand Bug Hotel has also been installed on BGS grounds, using natural waste materials to provide shelter for insects, which in turn will provide food for animals such as toads and hedgehogs.
Relative topics
Related news

New data reveals latest mineral workings around Great Britain and Northern Ireland
01/04/2025
The newest release of BGS BritPits provides information on an additional 6500 surface and underground mineral workings.

New seabed geology maps to enable long term conservation around Ascension Island
01/04/2025
BGS deliver the first marine geology and habitat maps for one of the World’s largest marine protected areas.

New study reveals long-term effects of deep-sea mining and first signs of biological recovery
27/03/2025
BGS geologists were involved in new study revealing the long-term effects of seabed mining tracks, 44 years after deep-sea trials in the Pacific Ocean.

BGS announces new director of its international geoscience programme
17/03/2025
Experienced international development research leader joins the organisation.

Future projections for mineral demand highlight vulnerabilities in UK supply chain
13/03/2025
New Government-commissioned studies reveal that the UK may require as much as 40 per cent of the global lithium supply to meet anticipated demand by 2030.

Presence of harmful chemicals found in water sources across southern Indian capital, study finds
10/03/2025
Research has revealed the urgent need for improved water quality in Bengaluru and other Indian cities.

Critical Mineral Intelligence Centre hosts second conference
28/02/2025
The Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre conference took place at BGS’s headquarters in Keyworth, Nottinghamshire.

Dr Kathryn Goodenough honoured with prestigious award from The Geological Society
27/02/2025
Dr Kathryn Goodenough has been awarded the Coke Medal, which recognises those who have made a significant contribution to science.

Call for new members and Chair to join the NERC facilities steering committees
18/02/2025
New members are needed to join the committees over the next four years.

BGS announces new director of BGS National Geoscience
12/02/2025
BGS announces its new director of BGS National Geoscience.

Artificial intelligence is proving a game changer in tracking the Santorini earthquake swarm
07/02/2025
Scientists are harnessing the power of machine learning to help residents and tourists by detecting thousands of seismic events.

Pioneering tool expanding to analyse agricultural pollution and support water-quality interventions
06/02/2025
An online tool that shows which roads are most likely to cause river pollution is being expanded to incorporate methods to assess pollution from agricultural areas.