Covid woodland offers 'place for remembrance'

A woodland created as a place for remembrance and reflection after the Covid-19 pandemic has officially opened.

People attended a ceremony at the Covid Memorial Woodland, near California Country Park in Finchampstead, on 27 August.

More than 6,700 trees have been planted to create a community legacy for future generations and a space to remember those affected by the pandemic.

Council leader Stephen Conway said: "This woodland will grow and develop over the coming decades, providing a place for remembrance while helping create a greener and more biodiverse future for the borough."

He said the pandemic was "an exceptionally difficult time" for people across the borough.

"We are looking back at a difficult period in our history, but we are also looking ahead," he added.

Guests at the opening observed a moment's silence in remembrance of those who died and everyone affected by the pandemic.

The Mayor of Wokingham Borough, Rob Comber, formally opened the woodland by watering one of its young orchard trees.

It was created with support from residents, volunteers, schools, community organisations and council teams.

Hundreds of residents worked with the council's Countryside Service to plant more than 1,300 trees during community planting days in March 2025.

Children from Shinfield St Mary's Junior School also grew and planted a further 130.

Freely Fruity helped establish the orchard, while much of the wider planting was supported through funding from the Woodland Trust.

Dinton Wednesday conservation volunteers then helped care for the site and prepare it for the opening event.

The opening follows Wokingham being named a Tree City of the World for a second consecutive year in recognition of its work caring for trees, investing in planting and involving local people in tree-related activities.