The family of Captain Sir Tom Moore, the late World War Two veteran who raised millions of pounds for Britain's health service during the COVID-19 pandemic, has urged well-wishers to back tree-planting projects to help tackle climate change.
Supporting programmes to restore forests in Britain and around the world by charities the Woodland Trust and TreeSisters would provide a fitting way to honour Moore's message of hope, relatives said before his funeral on Saturday.
"Dad was happiest outdoors, walking in all seasons, pottering in the garden, and listening to the birds," Lucy Teixeira, Moore's daughter, said in a statement.
"And like every grandparent, he was concerned about what the future holds for his four grandchildren and the negative impact we are having on our planet."
Clare Dubois, founder of TreeSisters, which works in countries including Brazil, Kenya, India and Nepal, said restoring tropical forests would serve "all of life on Earth".
"These forests are a crucial part of our planet's natural cooling system," Dubois said. "Restoring these forests together is a way of taking care of everyone."
The Woodland Trust aims to raise enough money to plant a memorial woodland in Yorkshire, said Darren Moorcroft, the charity's chief executive.
Moore, who was 100, died on Feb. 2 after he contracted COVID-19. He was challenged to walk 100 laps of his garden in the run up to his milestone birthday to raise a modest 1,000 pounds.
By the time he finished on April 16, 2020, he was being willed on by millions in Britain and beyond, and the total raised was heading towards 38.9 million pounds ($53 million).
(Editing by Janet Lawrence)
