CHISWELL Community Trust volunteers will be helping to make Portland an even greener and more pleasant land when members plant 420 trees in celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

These will be planted at the Incline Orchard and Community Garden site and will be part of the Trust’s clearing and tidying of the incline and will also help to encourage wildlife.

Tree Planting Day will be on Saturday, December 1 between 10am-3pm and a small copse will be created along with a perimeter hedge to secure the site.

Sandra Symes from the Trust, pictured, said: “When the planting is completed the trees will form a ‘growing’ tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, local people and wildlife.”

Local gardening volunteers will be supported by Marion Podschies with the help of Chris Grayston from Chris Grayston Tree Care with planting the free trees from the Woodland Trust and other aspects of the project.

In just a few years, these new saplings will provide natural colour hedging along with food and shelter for wildlife.

The Woodland Trust aims to plant six million trees in total through 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee and communities and schools are at the heart of the project.

During this year, all free tree packs contain an exclusive Royal Oak sapling grown from an acorn gathered from a royal estate such as Sandringham or Windsor.

Ms Symes added: “We are delighted to be awarded the Community Tree Pack as everyone has been working so hard over the last couple of years to reclaim and develop the Incline Community Orchard and Garden on Portland.”

She added: “Tree planting is a fantastic and fun way for us to do something lasting and meaningful in our local area.”