A symbolic planting event was held at North Wales’ new Commemorative Woodland this week as the nation marks a moment of reflection, two years on since the first Covid lockdown.
The woodland, located on National Trust Cymru’s Erddig Estate in Wrexham, saw Trust staff, Lesley Griffiths, Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, local families who have lost loved ones during the pandemic and members of the local community come together to plant the site’s first trees in remembrance.
The Trust is proudly supporting the Welsh Government’s commemorative woodland project and providing nine hectares of land at Hafod, on the southern edge of the Erddig estate near Wrexham, with the intention to create a beautiful, safe and accessible woodland where people can visit, remember loved ones and spend time in nature.
Designed with tree species that will be able to adapt to the threats of pests, diseases and a changing climate and along with woodland creation the area will include other vital habitats for wildlife such as pondscapes, hedgerows and meadows. The green spaces for nature also provide a future opportunity for everyone who visits the woodland to experience a beneficial connection with the natural world.
The new woodland in its entirety will be a permanent and living memorial to all those who have died but also a symbol of Wales’ resilience during the pandemic and one of regeneration and renewal as the new woodlands grow.
Speaking on the day at the memorial event, Rebecca Williams, Assistant Director National Trust Cymru said:
“Today we gather to mark a poignant time and reflect on the challenges we have all faced during the last two years.
We hope this woodland will bring some comfort to the families here with us today and to everyone who has lost someone close to them during the pandemic.
We are honoured to provide this beautiful space at Erddig for remembering those people and look forward to creating, and then caring for the woodland forever, for everyone.”
Lesley Griffiths MS, Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales added:
“This woodland provides a quiet and peaceful space to remember those we sadly lost during the pandemic.
As we watch the trees and woodland grow, we will all have the opportunity to reflect on the impact of the past two years, and think of those who have lost loved ones.
It is a special place of peace and reflection which I hope will bring comfort to many.”
Andrea Williams, representative of Covid-19 Families-Wales Group, some of who attended the memorial planting event:
“Planting a commemorative woodland means so much to myself and the members of Covid-19 Families-Wales. It will be a place to sit and quietly reflect on our loved ones and the lives we shared.
Each person lost to Covid-19 in Wales will be remembered through the planting of the woodlands in their memory, symbolising new beginnings and hope for the future at a time when many of us are struggling to determine what the future looks like without our loved ones.
The woodland will be a lasting memory of those lost to the pandemic ensuring they will not be forgotten.”
