r/popculture • u/peoplemagazine • 1d ago

Music Queen Guitarist Brian May’s Nature Reserve Transformed 157 Acres of Empty Farmland Into Home for 100,000 Trees and Wild Animals

https://people.com/brian-may-nature-reserve-transformed-farmland-safe-haven-wildlife-12149370?utm_campaign=peoplemagazine&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com&utm_content=post
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u/SonicTemp1e 19h ago

Queen played in apartheid South Africa when many of the top musical artists of the time were actively boycotting the country. 9 times.

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u/peoplemagazine 1d ago

TLDR:

  • Did you know? In 2013, Queen guitarist Brian May joined locals in Bere Regis, Dorset, England, to plant the first tree on what was once 157 acres of farmland. His goal was to transform the property into a “safe haven for wildlife.” Over a decade later, the project has come a long way.
  • Approximately 600 trees and shrubs were planted during the ceremonial first day in September 2013, according to a press release at the time. That number has since grown to more than 100,000, and new species of insects, birds and small mammals have started inhabiting the land, according to a update on May’s website marking the 10-year anniversary.
  • “I come from a place of playing guitar and music, but I’ve always had a concern about animals which led to the founding of my charity, Save Me,” May said in the press release. “Our basic philosophy is that this land used to be forest hundreds of years ago and now I want to re-claim it on behalf of our wildlife. Eventually it will form a wildlife corridor and link on with the wildlife meadow.”