Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, contractors for the Department of the Environment and Climate Change have been busy planting trees around Gibraltar.

The autumn to early spring is the best time to plant out trees in our Mediterranean climate, when cooler weather and rainfall help to get them established.

A total of 69 trees of 12 species have been planted between November and February, of which 12 were relocated or replacements for trees lost, resulting in a net increase of 57 trees for Gibraltar.

The largest number planted was in the new Midtown Park, where 47 trees have been placed. But trees have been planted in other areas, such as the Trafalgar Cemetery, Red Sands Road, and Governor’s Parade.

Minister for the Environment, Prof John Cortes, said: “We are constantly working on increasing the number of trees around Gibraltar, in keeping with our Green Gibraltar objective. I’m really pleased that we’ve been able to increase the number of trees in our urban area by so many. We will keep looking for new sites where we can add more.”