A continental flavour of tree types will be planted in Preston’s oldest park as part of its restoration.
AdvertisementMoor Park is home to ten new trees native to China, France, Japan and others.
A partnership between Preston City Council and the University of Central Lancashire sees a number of trees planted along the Deepdale stadium end of the park.
Tree types have been selected based on the languages taught at UCLan.
Cabinet member for community and environment, councillor Robert Boswell, was joined by lecturers from the university to plant the trees.
He said: “It’s a wonderful gesture from the Confucius Institute at UCLan to provide these trees for Preston.
“Celebrating National Tree Week in this way and using the historic location of Moor Park will enable the trees to flourish and become a fantastic backdrop in the city.”
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Moor Park is currently being restored to its ‘Victorian glory’ as part of a £2m Heritage Lottery Funded project.
Dean and director of business development at UCLan Isabel Donnelly said: “We’ve chosen the 10 trees very carefully and each one represents a language that is taught here at UCLan.
“Of course, if we planted a tree for all the 20 plus languages we teach we would create a small forest.”
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She was joined by the Director of the University’s Confucius Institute Feixia Yu.
She said: “In China, growing and caring for trees is intrinsically linked to education to mirror how by encouraging and nurturing a person they will flourish.
“Planting trees from ten different countries to be nurtured right here in Preston is a fantastic way of sharing this ethos; celebrating the many cultures that come together and thrive at UCLan in a unique and long-lasting way.”
Germany
Pedunculate oak – Quercus robur
Britain
Sessile oak – Quercus petraea
France
Downy oak – Quercus pubescens
Russia
Larix sibirica – Siberian Larch
China
Chinese scarlet Rowan – Sorbus commixta ‘Embley’
Korea
Chinese Sweetgum – Liquidambar formosana
Iran/Iraq/Turkey/Egypt
Willow leaved pear – Pyrus salicifolia
Italy
Corsican pine – Pinus nigra var Maritima
Spain/Portugal
Mirbeck’s oak – Quercus canariensis
Japan
Betula – ‘ermanii’
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