Most Americans have forgotten about a war that was fought a century ago this August. Our role in WWI was short compared to the experience of Great Britain, France and Germany. The "war to end all wars" was the first mechanized war and the slaughter caused by it was truly horrendous. It devastated a large landscape of northeastern France and Belgium including the destruction of entire forests [Belleau Wood, above]. The UK has chosen to honor its generation of WWl dead with an appropriate living monument by replanting forests lost in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. The £12m will provide a memorial that should last hundreds of years and provide benefits to the people that a stone and metal memorial could never give. More than 3 million trees will be given to schools, communities and youth groups for planting. The English memorial woods will be planted on a 640 acre site in Epsom, Surrey and at Langley Vale to link up existing pockets of woodland. The public will be allowed to dedicate individual trees in memory of loved ones lost in the Great War. A thousand acres will be planted in the four memorial woods with hopes than many more landowners will be inspired to create there own commemorative forests containing millions of trees. The planting will continue until the autumn of 2018.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
UK Honors WWI Dead With Trees
Most Americans have forgotten about a war that was fought a century ago this August. Our role in WWI was short compared to the experience of Great Britain, France and Germany. The "war to end all wars" was the first mechanized war and the slaughter caused by it was truly horrendous. It devastated a large landscape of northeastern France and Belgium including the destruction of entire forests [Belleau Wood, above]. The UK has chosen to honor its generation of WWl dead with an appropriate living monument by replanting forests lost in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. The £12m will provide a memorial that should last hundreds of years and provide benefits to the people that a stone and metal memorial could never give. More than 3 million trees will be given to schools, communities and youth groups for planting. The English memorial woods will be planted on a 640 acre site in Epsom, Surrey and at Langley Vale to link up existing pockets of woodland. The public will be allowed to dedicate individual trees in memory of loved ones lost in the Great War. A thousand acres will be planted in the four memorial woods with hopes than many more landowners will be inspired to create there own commemorative forests containing millions of trees. The planting will continue until the autumn of 2018.