Planting an oak tree Saturday during an Arbor Day celebration at Paulus Park in Lake Zurich took on special significance in light of a microburst that felled or damaged 15 of the trees late last summer.
A dozen people, including Mayor Tom Poynton, helped plant a swamp white oak among the park’s ancient oaks, some of which are more than a century old.
“We had a crazy microburst that really affected the park,” said recreation supervisor Marisa Boynton. “Obviously, we plant a tree every year, and it's not always an oak, but this year we wanted to plant an oak because we lost a significant number of them last year.”
A native plant sale, free paper shredding, a free compost giveaway and a park cleanup for which there were 50-60 volunteers also were part of the event.
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ColumnistWhy Veteran Trees Deserve the Same Protection as Ancient MonumentsThe destruction of a venerable oak tree highlights the importance of safeguarding biodiversity
Bad reviews from the past six months highlight poor service
recently became the scene of a crime against nature
Woodland Trust’s competition comes as charity campaigns for more robust legal protection for precious trees
An oak tree shaped like an elephant and the oak with the widest girth in the UK have been shortlisted for the annual Tree of the Year competition
The Woodland Trust runs the annual competition to raise awareness of the UK’s ancient and at-risk trees
With its 2024 contest, the charity is campaigning to ensure more robust legal protection for the country’s most precious trees
and is showcasing ancient oaks as they are a beloved species and often live for more than 1,500 years
support 2,300 different species of wildlife
and the UK has more ancient oaks than the rest of western Europe combined
This year’s list contains the Marton oak in Cheshire
View image in fullscreenThe Elephant oak at Old Sloden
Photograph: Claire Sheppard/Woodland TrustWhile 11 of the trees on the list were chosen by an expert panel
there is one public nomination: the Elephant oak at the Old Sloden inclosure in the New Forest
This tree takes its name from its unusual shape
who said: “This is my favourite oak tree to photograph at Old Sloden inclosure
It’s a pollard oak known as the Elephant oak due to its massive trunk
I hike for around 5km from Abbotswell car park to get there and back
It’s not the easiest place to reach and hence it’s always very quiet; I get a real sense of peace and solitude here.”
the citizen science manager at the Woodland Trust
said: “We chose the iconic oak because it captures people’s imaginations – from their leaves to their acorns
these trees are ingrained in our heritage – and the ancients are so impressive in terms of their sheer size and age
Some oaks that are alive today were already centuries old at the time of Queen Elizabeth I
“It’s humbling to think how many events these trees have lived through
and that reaching full maturity they can stand for hundreds of years as ancient trees – all the while continuing to provide vital habitat as they hollow and produce dead wood
There are so many species that live and rely on them
Voting for the Woodland Trust’s 2024 Tree of the Year is open until 21 October via the Woodland Trust website, with a winner announced on 29 October.
Marton oak, CheshireSessile oak (quercus petraea) / Approximate age: 1,200 years / Girth: 14.02 metres.
Bowthorpe oak, LincolnshireEnglish oak (quercus robur) / Estimated age: 1000 years / Girth: 13.38 metres.
Gregynog oak, PowysEstimated age: 500 years / Girth: 9 metres.
Queen Elizabeth oak, West SussexSessile oak (quercus petraea) / Estimated age: 800-1,000 years / Girth: 13.18 metres.
Skipinnish oak, Lochaber, Scottish HighlandsSessile oak (quercus petraea) / Estimated age: unknown.
The Michael, MidlothianEstimated age: 1,000+ years / Girth: 10.32 metres.
Tea Party oak, SuffolkEnglish oak (quercus robur) / Estimated age: unknown / Girth: 12.80 metres.
King John oak, SomersetEstimated age: 1,000 years / Girth: 10.74 metres.
Darwin oak, Shrewsbury, ShropshireEstimated age: 550 years / Girth: 7 metres.
Capon tree, Scottish BordersEnglish oak (quercus robur) / Estimated age: 700-1,000 years / Girth: 9.40 metres.
Castle Archdale Oak, County FermanaghSessile oak (quercus petraea) / Estimated age: unknown / Girth: 7.68 metres.
Public wildcard nomination: Elephant oak, Old Sloden inclosure, HampshireEstimated age: unknown.
Three UF students examine the Norman Hall oak tree, lost to Hurricane Helene on Sept. 27, 2024.
When Norman Hall opened in 1932 as P.K. Young Laboratory School, the grand oak already stood tall, providing shade for students.
But when Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm, the tree collapsed and brought its long life to an unexpected end.
UF Landscaping Director Tom Schlick said the tree was doomed years ago and its downfall was inevitable.
The iconic Norman Hall treasure was actually three trees that had grown into each other, Schlick said.
“They’d never come together, and so moisture has been allowed to get down amongst them and create that rot,” he said, pointing at the tree’s exposed interior.
Schlick said the tree’s demise is heartbreaking and reminisced about when he’d attended UF in the 1980s and had class underneath the towering tree.
Looking ahead to plans for the tree's removal, Schlick said it will probably require cranes because of its massive size and the amount of lumber. UF is still assessing the damage, he added.
A panoramic view of the oak tree by Norman Hall after it fell on Thursday, Sept. 26.
Jill Ringler, 40, a custodial employee at Norman Hall, said, “it was a beautiful tree.”
Ringler said she would sit under it during fall days and enjoyed watching squirrels climb and run across its branches.
“It’s gonna be very sad not to see it there no more,” she said. “There’s gonna be a void.”
Ringler said she’d love to see a centerpiece, memorial or fountain replace “the beauty that’s been lost.”
Looking down at the tree’s remains, Ringler shook her head.
“It just completed the whole courtyard,” she said.
Ella Lane, a 19-year-old UF computer science freshman, said the tree “really made this space feel magical.”
“I loved working at this library and sitting at the windows,” she said. “It was so beautiful, and I’m actually really going to miss it.”
Lane said she might avoid Norman Hall in the future to avoid further heartbreak.
“It’ll make me really sad to come back…I thought that tree would be here forever,” she said.
Contact Avery Parker at aparker@alligator.org. Follow him on X @AveryParke98398.
Avery Parker is a third-year English and History major covering university affairs for The Alligator. Outside of reporting, Avery spends his time doting on his cats, reading, and listening to music by the Manwolves.
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The ancient oak was on the edge of Whitewebbs Park
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An ancient oak that was felled by the owners of Toby Carvery could have lived for “another few hundred years”
the outraged head of the local council claims as he vows legal action
Reports were made to Enfield Council in London earlier this month after a roughly 400-year-old oak tree on the edge of Whitewebbs Park, in the north of the capital, was felled. The tree was thought to be in the top 100 of London’s 600,000 oak trees in terms of its size, and was believed to have “more ecological value than the Sycamore Gap”
Hospitality group Mitchells and Butlers, which operates the Whitewebbs House Toby Carvery on parkland owned by the council
saying they were advised by arboriculture experts that it caused a “serious health and safety risk”
Mitchells and Butlers said they had been told the tree was dead and cut the tree down as an “important action to protect our employees and guests as well as the wider general public
“We took necessary measures to ensure any legal requirements were met
We are grateful to our specialist arboriculture contractors for warning us of this potential health and safety risk
allowing us to act swiftly to address it.”
But Enfield Council leader Ergin Erbil said the ancient oak was not only alive
it could have lived “for another few hundred years”
“I completely oppose the argument from the leaseholder that this posed a health and safety risk,” Mr Erbil told the BBC
Mr Erbil said that the council was seeking advice to take appropriate legal action against the hospitality group for violating the terms of their leasehold
“I am outraged that the leaseholder has cut down this beautiful ancient oak tree without seeking any permissions or advice from Enfield Council,” he said
“We have evidence that this tree was alive and starting to grow new spring leaves when this action was taken
Our team of experts checked the tree in December 2024 and found it was healthy and posed no risk to the neighbouring car park and its users.”
The police received a report of criminal damage to the tree on Saturday
they found no evidence of criminality and closed their investigation on Tuesday
we believe this action has broken the terms of the lease
which requires Toby Carvery to maintain and protect the existing landscape
The tree was the oldest one on site and cutting it down seems to be a clear breach of this condition
“This tree would have been home to countless wildlife
This tree is a part of our ecological and cultural heritage
“We’re therefore seeking advice and will take appropriate legal action
If any criminal activity is found during our investigation
we will not hesitate to report this to the police again
we will also do everything we can to help the tree regrow.”
Mitchells and Butlers CEO Phil Urban sent an open letter apologising for the anger and upset caused by the incident.
“As a business and more importantly as human beings, we are obliged to act on all health and safety issues where expert advice warns us of a direct risk to life or serious injury. The penalties, legally, financially and more importantly, emotionally, for failing to do that when something subsequently happens, are too great to contemplate.
“We cannot undo what has been done, and none of us will ever know whether the felling of this beautiful old tree has prevented a future tragedy,” he said, adding that the company had tried to be “good neighbours” by planting over 90,000 trees so far since 2022 along with its partners.
The company said it would complete a thorough review to ensure that in the future, “exceptional situations are treated differently to the more regular health and safety issues that arise on a day-to-day basis”.
Mr Urban then said that someone on social media had been claiming to be a Toby Carvery manager and using “distasteful social media dialogue” surrounding the incident. He said the individual was not a Mitchells and Butlers employee, and that this was an example of social media trolling.
The felling of the tree has “devastated” the local community, who told The Independent they feared what it might mean for the rest of the park.
Sean Wilkinson, who has lived in the area since 1980 and chairs Friends of Whitewebbs Park, called the felling “an absolute piece of vandalism”.
He added: “It was a disgrace, and it’s symbolic of the lack of care that’s been put into the environment of this park.”
Vicky Gardner, who has lived in Enfield for 55 years, said she was “devastated” by the felling of the tree.
“It’s such a shame, I think it’s so typical of the behaviour of some of these organisations,” she said. “They don’t think about their actions, they don’t think about the consequences, and I do wonder where they got their information from.”
Sue Barrett, an Enfield resident since 1990, was “absolutely appalled” by what happened to the ancient oak.
“Any decent tree surgeon would have known you don’t cut down trees like that. It’s an oak tree, and it’s an ancient oak tree. Anybody worth their salt would know,” she said. “It wasn’t doing anybody any harm. None whatsoever. It was a beautiful tree, and they preserved the stump. I think that’s an insult, don’t you?”
She said that the park had been a “saviour” to the local community because it became a hub for people to meet together.
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The council will take action against the Toby Carvery owners for felling the centuries old tree
Whitewebbs Park oak cut down by contractors working for firm that runs nearby restaurant
The sudden felling of one of the oldest and largest oak trees in London has been carried out by the company that owns a nearby Toby Carvery
as campaigners renewed calls for better protection for such nationally significant trees
with a trunk that was more than six metres in circumference
It was listed on the Woodland Trust inventory of ancient trees
but was not the subject of a tree preservation order
The tree was felled earlier this month by contractors working for Mitchells & Butlers Retail (MBR)
which runs the nearby Toby Carvery and leases the land where the tree stood from Enfield council
The council said it had not been informed of the decision to cut down the tree and urged the Metropolitan police to investigate
said: “We are treating the matter as criminal damage and have reported it to the police.”
It is understood that on Tuesday the Metropolitan police closed an investigation into the incident after deciding it was a civil matter
The council has placed a tree preservation order on the remaining trunk in the hope that it may grow back
A spokesperson for MBR said its contractors had warned that the tree was diseased
They said: “The tree was cut back after we were advised by our specialist arboriculture contractors that it caused a potential health and safety risk
“This was an important action to protect our employees and guests as well as the wider general public
Campaigners have expressed dismay at the incident. Writing on X
said: “This shows the desperate need for better protections for our veteran and ancient trees
A building the same age as this tree would almost certainly be listed (council owned or not)
and we should have an equivalent system for trees
with equivalent enforcement and punishment.”
said it was “a reminder to all of us that not every ancient tree is in a safe place”
He added: “It is very unusual to see the felling of an oak tree of this size and age
Legally protected status for trees like the Whitewebbs oak is long overdue
This issue has widespread public support and is an open goal for the government to act upon.”
The trust is campaigning for legislation that would make a list of nationally important heritage trees the subject of preservation orders
the trial of two men accused of felling the Sycamore Gap tree is due to take place at Newcastle crown court
Experts say ancient oaks have more ecological value than sycamores because they support hundreds more species
A blogpost by the tree company Thor’s Trees says: “Ancient trees like this one are living ecosystems in themselves
left to mature over centuries into a vast and unique habitat
Its sheer size and age meant it was home to hundreds of species
many of which rely solely on old trees like this to survive.”
Enfield council disputes restaurant chain’s claim 500-year-old tree in Whitewebbs Park was ‘mostly dead’
Toby Carvery has been threatened with legal action by a council over the felling of an ancient oak in a park in north London
The restaurant chain is facing national outrage after its decision to fell the up to 500-year-old tree without warning on 3 April.
On Wednesday, Enfield council, which had leased the land on which the tree stood for a Toby Carvery car park, escalated its dispute with the company by challenging its rationale for the felling and indicating it planned to sue.
It came after Mitchells & Butlers Retail (M&BR), which owns Toby Carvery, claimed the tree had to be taken down because it was “mostly dead and diseased” and posed a risk to the public.
The council leader, Ergin Erbil, said this was false. “We have evidence that this tree was alive and starting to grow new spring leaves when this action was taken. Our team of experts checked the tree in December 2024 and found it was healthy and posed no risk to the neighbouring car park and its users,” he said.
“As the tree shows clear signs of life, we will also do everything we can to help the tree regrow.”
The council had reported Toby Carvery to the Metropolitan police, but officers decided to take no further action as there was no preservation order on the tree. On Tuesday the police closed their investigation after deciding it was a civil matter.
Read moreErbil said: “The police are treating it as a civil matter
but we will continue to take appropriate legal action.”
we believe this action has broken the terms of the lease which requires Toby Carvery to maintain and protect the existing landscape
The tree was the oldest one on site and cutting it down seems to be a clear breach of this condition.”
we will not hesitate to report this to the police again.”
Erbil said he was “outraged” that Toby Carvery had “cut down this beautiful ancient oak tree without seeking any permissions or advice from Enfield council”
He said: “This tree would have been home to countless wildlife
This tree is a part of our ecological and cultural heritage.”
The Woodland Trust said the oak in Whitewebbs Park was an important habitat
supporting hundreds of species including endangered deadwood beetles
the Woodland Trust’s senior conservation adviser for trees
said: “This is the most shocking fell I think I’ve ever seen in more than a decade working with ancient trees
this is ecologically much more significant than the Sycamore Gap – and certainly a more irreplaceable tree
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“Ancient oaks are particularly rich in biodiversity
with habitats that take centuries to develop
They simply can’t be replaced by younger trees and can’t be replaced quickly.”
He added: “Some of the biodiversity associated with ancient trees
an Enfield resident and the secretary of the Guardians of Whitewebbs group
said local people wanted justice for the old oak
He said: “The tree belonged to Enfield and to our national heritage
and we want guarantees the other trees here are being protected properly.”
It is understood M&BR plans to conduct a review of the incident to determine whether felling the tree was right or wrong
also plans to respond to all those who have complained to him about the destruction of the tree
A source close to the company says Urban will apologise for the distress caused but not the action taken
Table to seat 60 being built by local artists and craftspeople in woodland on edge of Dartmoor
A community in Devon has raised £22,555 to turn a 500-year-old oak tree into what they believe will be the longest table ever crafted from a single English oak tree
was being built in a small patch of private woodland near Chagford
a local artist who owns the wood and conceived the idea
“be a 21st-century re-enchantment of the land: a rewilding with bells on because it brings in the element of human imagination and human flourishing
to a wild space where people can gather to share food
View image in fullscreenElizabeth-Jane Baldry with her grandson
Photograph: Elizabeth-Jane Baldry“In its own small way
I want this table to be somewhere hope can be sparked that we can tip the world towards joy,” she added
“It’s a micro-project but these micro-projects are what are going to change the dialogue about how we can all move into a happier future.”
the group says it can find no reference to another table crafted from a single oak tree
apart from the 13-metre “Table for the Nation” made for Ely Cathedral
Baldry bought the patch of low-grade agricultural land 18 years ago when it was rubbish-ridden and unloved
Naming it Pigwiggen Wood after a fairy knight
she and her two sons have since nurtured it into a nature and wildlife-rich sanctuary
View image in fullscreenMembers of the community behind the project
including Elizabeth-Jane Baldry (front right)
at their table.Baldry had long harboured the dream of placing a long table at the forest’s heart
because there’s such a long tradition in British culture of oak as a great symbol of courage and endurance,” she said
But it took her a year to find one that was sufficiently long
“I was offered French oak but I said I wouldn’t import oak
I said it had to be Devon oak; every sawmill in Devon was on a search for over a year for a tree worthy of the project,” she said
Eventually a tree was found: a 45 metre ancient oak that had fallen in a storm 15 years ago but lay undisturbed because the owner couldn’t bear to see it chopped up for firewood
View image in fullscreenLifting the oak slabs for the table
Photograph: Claire Shauna SaundersThe project started two years ago with loans and financial gifts from the community
Now that crowdfunding has raised more than Baldry hoped
the loans can be repaid and the costs for the final work met
“We can now finish making the table and open the space up for community events
immersion days for the local primary schoolchildren and quiet days when visitors can ditch their to-do lists and simply read
paint or relax in the dancing shadows of the leaves,” she said
“Once in a while on one of those rare English summer evenings when the moon is bright and the sky is clear
the woodland glade will become a fairytale space for people to gather
There will be food and fellowship under the trees
the telling of tales and the sound of the harp,” she added
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View image in fullscreenThe finished table
said bringing a table into a wild space “blurs the boundary between indoors and outdoors
to a place that is wild and yet still part of human life
There are so many things you can do at a table: it’s where you gather with your family
or write or just be in the outdoors with neighbours that aren’t human: neighbours that are the plants and the animals and the insects.”
the Oscar-winning concept artist for the Lord of the Rings films
designed an elfin throne for the head of the table
View image in fullscreenBeej Trigg Woods worked on the table design for two years.Baldry said: “I had this idea for a throne at the end
not for humans – because the whole thing about the table is that it’s a place where all are equal – but because I wanted to have the symbol of the larger world of which we’re all a part,.”
the local carpenter who has spent two years on the project
said it was probably the most special design he would ever create
“It’s humbling to work on wood this ancient
for a project that’s so meaningful,” he said
“I started when my son was just a few weeks old
I hope the table will still be standing when his grandchildren are able to sit round it.”
Britain’s tallest and most remarkable tree
was used by the druids as a canopy for ceremonies
It’s been the navy’s secret weapon and its gall was used by Shakespeare and Dickens to write their masterpieces
The native Quercus robur is the mightiest of 600 Quercus (oak) species
It was used to build the Mary Rose and the House of Commons
No wonder it’s on everything from our coins to hundreds of pubs
Thomas Hardy even called one of his heroes Gabriel Oak
“It’s the rock star of trees,” Jules Acton says
“Acton” means oak tree settlement in Anglo-Saxon so there is something fitting about Jules Acton writing a new book
For the past decade she has worked for the Wildlife Trusts and now the Woodland Trust but when she went to her first nature reserve
“This is not a book for experts but anyone curious about nature,” she says
“I want to show people ways into that world
When I applied for a job in communications with the Wildlife Trusts in my thirties I hadn’t knowingly gone to a nature reserve of any kind and found it so daunting
There was a beautiful stream in woodland with dragonflies
Hawk moths are likened to Lady Gaga and Jimi Hendrix; lichen on the nests of long-tailed tits to a Farrow and Ball paint chart; the fight for survival between the oak and fungi to Game of Thrones
But it’s her obsession with Britain’s 121 million native woodland oaks
“The vast native oaks support 2,300 plants
Acton soon realised she was surrounded by the ancient oaks that sheltered Robin Hood’s band of brothers
“The book was written during the pandemic so I would just stand under them
gazing at them for hours.” More than half of all ancient oaks in Europe reside in the UK
their roots sprawling back to medieval times
with more than 100 giants possessing girths larger than nine metres
The British instinctively identify with them
Their leaves are instantly recognisable as emblems on many of our institutions
The ancient Greeks associated the oak with power
but Acton went back to the druids to appreciate why the British have become so obsessed
“The druids loved the rare mistletoe on oaks and their mysticism
“The Normans liked them in their hunting forests
That probably inadvertently led to our parkland
The Elizabethans treated them as a national treasure.”
celebrates the British oak treeMICHAEL POWELL FOR THE TIMESFor Oaklore she visited some astonishing old Elizabethan trees
“Each of the ancient oaks has a character,” she says
“The Big Belly Oak in Savernake Forest in Wiltshire
I met it as the light was going out of the day and it has this association with devilry
If you get naked and go round it anticlockwise 12 times
“It’s on the edge of a busy road so few do it
But it’s majestic with vast cavities that look like mouths
muscular arms reaching up and a steel belt around it.” Another she loves is the Crouch Oak in Windsor Great Park
“There is a cheeky story that Elizabeth I relieved herself behind it
It has burn marks from fires over the ages
It’s an incredible bit of history next to people having picnics.”
Last year she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer
There are 38 birds associated with the oak
will give off “a two-tone vibe like a member of a 1980s ska band” but the woodpecker is even more astonishing
Leonardo da Vinci once wrote in a notebook “describe the tongue of a woodpecker” — their tongues are insanely long and
act as pillows against the effects of their drilling
• ‘I don’t hug trees. I do stroke their bark, though’
Acton went in search of purple hairstreak butterflies
which seek out the oak and are hard to spot but look “like silver coins falling”
She also went on a moth hunt in Derbyshire
“They suddenly arrived at midnight; the air was filled with fairy lights,” Acton says
Oaks don’t just provide a canopy for wildlife
“Oak galls made by the tiny marble gall wasp are the big sexy ones and they have been used to make ink for 1,000 years for everyone from Isaac Newton to the Americans with their Declaration of Independence,” Acton says
The galls can also be used for piles and deodorant
The pied flycatcher is one of the 38 birds associated with oak treesALAMYAnother gall is the oak apple gall and there even used to be an oak apple day
“Charles II was saved by hiding in the Boscobel oak tree when he was on the run,” Acton says
he announced that May 29 would be Oak Apple Day
where much cider was drunk and they would whip people with nettles
It also worryingly became called Pinch Bum Day and Maid’s Ruin Day but mostly it was about the glory of the tree
Everyone was decked out in branches with oak leaves
I reckon we should bring it back as a celebration of nature.”
you just need a big enough garden,” Acton says
you see lots of seedlings growing in fields
“Every now and again they produce a superabundance of acorns all at the same time
and the oaks co-ordinate over vast areas and countries,” Acton explains
“It’s astonishing they are all doing it at the same time
We don’t understand how they communicate but it means there are so many acorns
they can’t all be eaten by squirrels or birds.”
While oak is a symbol of maturity and strength
and its tincture is used to boost resilience by aromatherapists
They were also used for fuel by not just pigs but humans
“They were a staple part of our diet when we had more time,” says Acton
It’s very filling but takes a whole day to make from scratch.”
Now the oak is under threat from acute oak decline
We have all but lost the elm and ash trees have become diseased with ash dieback
It would be devastating to lose three of our greatest native trees
Then there are the developers — 1,000 ancient woodlands are now at risk
Ancient trees should have the same status as listed buildings.” The outcry after the illegal felling of the great Sycamore Gap tree
shows the country’s natural affinity with trees
“That was one of our celebrities but trees are being butchered every day,” Acton says
• Amongst the Trees — our deep bonds with landscapes
Britain also imports thousands of oaks a year
“It’s astonishing as an island how many pests and diseases we bring in each year,” Acton says
“People are always wanting to plant trees for big celebrations or new homes but tiny saplings grow faster and will be stronger.”
Another of her dislikes is plastic tree guards
scattered like straws near our motorways and in parks
“There is a road near here where it’s so depressing
with tree guards scattered everywhere like spillikins
We need to try biodegradable alternatives.” Finally
“Ancient oaks must have had an ability to adapt so I hope more recent oaks will have resilience passed on.”
who with the Woodland Trust is creating forests across Britain
prefers to use the term “natural regeneration” rather than rewilding
“We have very little woodland cover compared to the Europeans — we are one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world,” she says
“But if we find trees the space and let areas recover slowly
Autumnal oak tree leavesALAMYPart of the problem is that children increasingly can’t recognise trees as they’re not taught how to distinguish an oak from a sycamore
parents would have passed the knowledge on
Mature trees don’t need much attention to flourish
I try to stand back because they are so precious and I don’t want to compact their roots
It’s better not to overwhelm them with attention but it’s wonderful to feel their bark
But nature’s like a Jenga tower — we keep taking bits out so how can we know when it’s going to collapse?”
Oaklore by Jules Acton (Greystone £18.99). To order a copy go to timesbookshop.co.uk
Free UK standard P&P on orders over £25
Special discount available for Times+ members
Cowdray Park’s Queen Elizabeth Oak estimated to be 1,000 years oldADRIAN HOUSTON12 of the best oak trees to see in the UK1
West SussexA majestic hollow tree with a humongous girth (13.15m) that makes it the second largest sessile oak on record
It sits resplendent in the grounds of Cowdray Park and is estimated to be up to 1,000 years old
One of the UK’s best-loved trees — and with a girth of 11m
a canopy spread of 28m and an estimated weight of 23 tonnes
It is thought to be up to 1,000 years old and has a place in folklore as a secret hiding place of Robin Hood
This magnificent tree stands alongside several mammoth trees in Great Wood in the grounds of Gregynog Hall
This area is immensely valuable for wildlife and is considered one of Wales’s most important ancient parklands and wood pasture habitats
Thought to be at least five centuries old and with a circumference of 9m
this oak hosts countless species including important lichens
The hollow trunk of the Bowthorpe OakWOODLAND TRUST4
LincolnshireThe incredible 1,000-year-old tree is so wide (13.38m) that its hollow trunk is said to have once hosted tea parties
It’s claimed that three dozen people once managed to stand inside it and ancient graffiti marks its inner walls to tell the tale of bygone visitors
Nowadays it’s fenced off to protect it from damage
One of the last surviving trees of the ancient Jedforest at 1,000 years old
Its distorted form may have saved it from felling since its wood would have been useless for shipbuilding
Thought to have been a trysting or gathering point in the 16th century
it is said that local men met beneath its branches before skirmishes or to resolve disputes
This tree was also one of 50 Great British Trees selected by the Tree Council to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee in 2002
Growing in the grounds of Hazelgrove Prep School
where it had been established for at least another 500 years
The school was founded in 1519 by Richard Fitzjames
One of the oldest and fattest oaks in the UK at 1,200 years and 14.02m girth
At a glance these three hunks of standing wood may be mistaken for a trio of individual trees but are in fact the fragments of one enormous ancient oak
Also selected in 2002 as one of 50 Great British Trees
Standing proud in the parkland surrounding the National Trust’s Ickworth Estate
the Tea Party Oak — named after the parties held beneath it — predates the 18th-century Italianate palace by some margin
This gnarled old oak is thought to be the oldest on the estate at more than 700 years and it is one of Suffolk’s finest ancient trees
This colossal multi-stemmed tree is a hybrid of the UK’s two native oaks
Its interesting name is probably a corruption of the Scots word “meikle”
though some believe it was named after the Michael
the largest sailing ship afloat in the 16th century
The centuries-old oak woodland of Dalkeith Country Park is an unusual habitat in Scotland and one of the country’s three veteran oak hotspots
Co FermanaghSurrounded by other trees and adorned by ferns and mosses
this hidden gem could easily be missed on a walk through Castle Archdale Country Park
gnarled trunk splits into two towering stems
far-reaching branches are a testament to its longevity (it’s more than 400 years old)
This tree probably stood through the building
burning and abandonment of nearby Castle Archdale in the 17th century
This enchanting oak has a sense of magic about it
creating a real spectacle as it rises in an airy clearing amid a dark spruce plantation
It’s one of the largest oaks in the area (with a girth of 8m) and supports a huge ecosystem
including many lichens such as black-eyed Susan
This tree takes its name from its unusual shape — with a girth of 3.96m
but its branches form a huge trunk-like structure
so a great tree to sit and reflect beneath
Vote for your tree of the year 2024 at woodlandtrust.org.uk
Meredith Stevenson, Center for Biological Diversity, (574) 309-5620, [email protected]Laura Jaime, Shiishongna Tongva Nation Corona Band of Gabrielino Indians, (909) 795-8182, [email protected]
California City OKs Development Threatening World’s Oldest Known Living Oak
Calif.— The Jurupa Valley City Council approved a development plan Thursday that would place the world’s oldest known living oak in jeopardy
industrial and commercial development on the 900-plus acre site calls for a 450-feet buffer around the Jurupa Oak where project activities such as construction cannot occur and a 550-feet buffer from any buildings
Such a short distance from construction activities may be insufficient to ensure the survival of the Palmer’s oak
“It’s shocking and sad to see the city fail to protect an ancient plant that is truly a wonder to behold,” said Meredith Stevenson
an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity
“Buildings come and go but the Jurupa Oak is a one-of-a-kind gem that can offer lessons about our natural heritage for generations to come
This development plan is no way to treat an international treasure.”
Thursday’s decision was a rejection of a proposal made by a coalition of Tribal
environmental justice and green groups to create a 100-acre preserve to better protect the Jurupa Oak and the watershed on which it relies
Such a preserve would offer enough distance from land grading and blasting that could threaten the health and survival of the oldest known living plant in the state and the third oldest known living plant on Earth
warehouses and commercial properties are built
would also put this special tree at great risk
it is a living symbol of our ancestral connection to this land
estimated to be between 13,000 and 18,000 years old,” said Laura Jaime of the Shiishongna Tongva Nation Corona Band of Gabrielino Indians
“This ancient oak represents our rich cultural heritage and serves as a reminder of the time when our ancestors thrived along the Santa Ana River.”
The Jurupa Oak is a vast colony of growths resembling a sprawling shrub reaching approximately 80 feet in length
The tree’s location in western Riverside County is far outside its natural range
This is the only member of its species in the 1,700-square-mile Santa Ana River watershed
For months a coalition of more than a dozen organizations have called on the city to better protect the Jurupa Oak
located in a high fire hazard severity zone
is also home to endangered and threatened species including the Delhi Sands flower-loving fly
California gnatcatcher and Crotch’s bumblebee
the city failed to consider and mitigate the various environmental harms
Shiishongna Tongva Nation Corona band of Gabrielino Indians
People’s Collective for Environmental Justice
The Center for Biological Diversity is a national
nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places
More Press Releases
Exclusive: Ancient oaks ‘as precious as stately homes’ could receive stronger legal safeguards under new proposals
Ancient and culturally important trees in England could be given legal protections under plans set out in a UK government-commissioned report
Sentencing guidelines would be changed so those who destroy important trees would face tougher criminal penalties
a database of such trees would be drawn up and they could be given automatic protections
with the current system of tree preservation orders strengthened to accommodate this
There was an outpouring of anger this week after it was revealed that a 500-year-old oak tree in Enfield
It later emerged it had no specific legal protections
as most ancient and culturally important trees do not
After the Sycamore Gap tree was felled in 2023
Food and Rural Affairs asked the Tree Council and Forest Research to examine protections for important trees and to see if they needed to be strengthened
The trial of two men accused of felling the Sycamore Gap tree is due to take place this month at Newcastle crown court
found there was currently no definition of important trees
and that some of the UK’s most culturally important trees have no protection whatsoever
The researchers have advised ministers to create a taskforce within the next 12 months to clearly define “important trees” and swiftly prepare an action plan to save them
Defra sources said ministers were evaluating the findings of the report
said: “Ancient oaks can live up to 1,000 years old and are as precious as our stately homes and castles
Our nation’s green heritage should be valued and protected and we will do everything we can to achieve this.”
The main protection for trees is a tree preservation order (TPO)
Failure to obtain the necessary consent and carrying out unauthorised works on a tree covered by a TPO can lead to a fine of up to £20,000
The Woodland Trust has called for similar protections, proposing the introduction of a list of nationally important heritage trees and a heritage TPO that could be used to promote the protection and conservation of the country’s oldest and most important trees. The charity is using citizen science to create a database of ancient trees.
The report’s authors defined “important trees” as shorthand for “trees of high social, cultural and environmental value”. This includes ancient trees, which are those that have reached a great age in comparison with others of the same species, notable trees connected with specific historic events or people, or well-known landmarks.
It could also include “champion trees”, which are the largest individuals of their species in a specific geographical area, and notable trees that are significant at a local scale for their size or have other special features.
Richard Benwell, the CEO of the environmental group Wildlife and Countryside Link, said: “Ancient trees are living monuments. They are bastions for nature in an increasingly hostile world and home to a spectacular richness of wildlife. We cannot afford to keep losing these living legends if we want to see nature thrive for future generations.
“The government should use the planning and infrastructure bill to deliver strict protection for ancient woodlands, veteran trees, and other irreplaceable habitats.”
In 2020, the 300-year-old Hunningham Oak near Leamington was felled to make way for infrastructure projects.
In 2021, the Happy Man tree in Hackney, which the previous year had won the Woodland Trust’s tree of the year contest, was felled to make way for housing development.
In 2022, a 600-year-old oak was felled in Bretton, Peterborough, which reportedly caused structural damage to nearby property.
In 2023, 16 ancient lime trees on The Walks in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, were felled to make way for a dual carriageway.
Hidden above the stone vaults of Notre-Dame de Paris, the 13th-century timber structure that once supported the cathedral’s steep lead roof was so extensive it was known as “the forest”. When the cathedral caught fire in 2019, the flames spread quickly through the lattice of oak beams, each one hewn from an individual tree by medieval carpenters. Around two-thirds of the roof was destroyed in the blaze.
By March 2024, the entire roof frame—la charpente in French—had been identically reconstructed by a small army of 21st-century carpenters trained in the traditional technique of working freshly harvested “green wood” by hand with an axe. (This time, however, the frame is protected against fire risks by an automatic misting system, thicker roof battens and fire-resistant trusses separating the spire from the nave and choir on either side of it.)
Rebuilding Notre-Dame’s “forest” also meant selecting 1,300 oak trees from across France that were “as close as possible to those of the 13th century”, that is, “very straight and very slender”, according to Desmonts, with “no defects”. Jean-Louis Bidet, the technical director of Ateliers Perrault, remembers the rush to harvest the trees in autumn so the carpenters could begin squaring the green wood from “dozens of truckloads” before the end of 2022.
The workshops’ traditional manual skills were guided by digital design tools that are “at the heart of the project across all the trades at Notre-Dame”, Bidet says. Computer modelling made it possible to calculate the resistance of the green wood, which will lose mass over time as it dries. The results predict that the new charpente will endure for several centuries into the future, just like the old one.
Desmonts recalls the emotion of seeing “everyone gathered around this element that is bigger than all of us”. Released from the hands of the carpenters, the charpente has again returned to being a “timeless” part of the fabric of the cathedral “that has its own identity and belongs to the place”.
politics and emotion have fused in the rebuilding of the Paris cathedral partially destroyed by a fire in 2019
analysis22 July 2020Where we are now with the restoration of Notre Dame after the rejection of modern architectural gesturesAn insider report from the site on the latest discoveries and re-building techniques
news2 December 2024The architecture graduate tasked with recording Notre-Dame’s renovation—in pencil and chalkOver four years
Axelle Ponsonnet has documented the project's progress behind the scenes
news11 December 2023President Macron confirms Notre Dame opening date plus plans for a new museumWhile worshippers will be permitted to enter the cathedral by December 2024
a revamp of the surrounding area will continue
The TimesWhen the owner of a restaurant chain famous for Sunday roasts recently cut down a 500-year-old oak in London
it caused a public outcry not seen since the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree
But the two precious trees are far from alone
Figures shared with The Times show that ten of a group of 144 of the most important “heritage” trees
after it was chopped downTHE MEGA AGENCYLEE SMITH/REUTERSA further 35 are under physical stress
threatened by too many visitors compacting soils and nearby trees shading them out of existence
according to Jon Stokes of the Tree Council
a charity that visited the trees last year
He believes that Britain has the largest collection of
named after the ceilidh band that discovered it
now in running for European Tree of the Year contest
An ancient oak named after a ceilidh band has won the UK’s tree of the year competition and will now compete in the European edition
The Skipinnish Oak in Lochaber, Scotland, was discovered by chance by members of the band of that name who were playing a nearby gig for the Native Woodland Discussion Group.
It is in the middle of a sitka spruce timber plantation and expert delegates from the discussion group registered it in the ancient tree inventory.
The Skipinnish oak is one of the largest trees of its kind in the region, which has been populated by nonnative timber forests. It is a fragment of the ancient ecosystem, and provides a home to diverse lichens including the rare black-eyed Susan.
The Skipinnish band said they were delighted the tree won and plan to compose a new song in honour of the mighty oak.
The Woodland Trust, which runs the competition, chose 12 ancient oaks for the shortlist this year to highlight their importance. They can live for more than 1,500 years and support 2,300 species of wildlife. The UK boasts more ancient oaks than the rest of western Europe combined.
The Skipinnish Oak won 21% of the vote, while the Darwin Oak in Shrewsbury came second with 20%. The 1,000-year-old Bowthorpe Oak in Lincolnshire came in third, with 14%.
Other oaks on the shortlist included the Queen Elizabeth Oak in West Sussex, the second-largest sessile oak on record, and the Elephant Oak in the New Forest, shortlisted for its unique shape and distinctive character.
Dr Kate Lewthwaite from the Woodland Trust said: “The Skipinnish Oak is a magnificent example of the natural heritage we strive to protect, and its recognition as UK tree of the year shines a light on the incredible biodiversity that our trees support. We encourage everyone to celebrate and preserve these vital features of our environment.”
Free weekly newsletterThe planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential
The next European Tree of the Year competition will take place in 2025.
has been described as a ‘national treasure’
A centuries-old oak tree that has “more ecological value than the Sycamore Gap” has been cut down by the owners of a nearby Toby Carvery
Reports were made to Enfield Council in London earlier this month over the felling of an ancient oak tree in Whitewebbs Wood, a woodland in the north of the capital
with locals having decried the incident as “devastating”
which was thought to be in the top 100 of London’s 600,000 oak trees in terms of its size
sat on land owned by the council that was leased to Mitchell and Butlers
the hospitality group that operates the Whitewebbs House Toby Carvery in the park
A spokesperson for Mitchell and Butlers said the tree was cut down after the company was advised by arboriculture experts that it caused a “serious health and safety risk”
“This was an essential action to protect our employees and guests
to whom we have a duty of care,” the spokesperson said
“We took every necessary measure to ensure all legal requirements were met,” they said
“We are grateful to our expert contractors for warning us of this hazard so swiftly
allowing us to act before anyone was harmed."
Lawrence-Thor Stephen, CEO of London-based tree care company Thor’s Trees
said the 3 April felling was a “loss for Enfield” and “a loss for the nation”
The tree is estimated to be up to 500 years old
it is more ecologically valuable than the roughly 200-year-old Sycamore Gap tree near Hadrian’s Wall
“I can’t believe this has happened,” he said
The tree is a pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) with a girth of 6.1m, and it is officially verified on the Woodland Trust’s Ancient Tree Inventory.
Mr Stephen told The Independent that thousands of species of birds, bats and insects rely on the tree to survive.
“When an ancient tree falls, it’s nature that’s wounded – and a community,” he said.
“But from this, we have the chance to build something better: stronger protections, greater awareness, and a renewed commitment to the trees that quietly support all life around us.
“Let’s make sure this story is not just one of loss but a turning point for action.”
The Woodland Trust, which has been advocating for legal protections for the country’s oldest and most important trees, called the incident “devastating”.
The trust cited support for its Living Legends petition that was handed to Downing Street with 100,000 signatures in November and the Heritage Trees Bill, which was introduced in the House of Lords by Baroness Young in 2023.
The legislation proposes the introduction of a list of nationally important heritage trees and a preservation order that could be used to promote the protection of ancient and important trees.
In a statement issued before Mitchell and Butlers revealed it was behind the tree being cut down, Ergin Erbil, leader of Enfield Council, said that while the incident occurred on 3 April, the council wasn’t made aware until last week, prompting it to carry out an immediate inspection of the site.
In that statement, he said the incident had been reported to the police and a tree preservation order was put in place to protect it from further damage. The Metropolitan Police confirmed before Mitchell and Butlers’ admission that it had received a report from Enfield Council.
Both the police and the council have since been contacted for further comment.
govt and politics"},{"score":0.707305,"label":"/society/crime"},{"score":0.646164,"label":"/society/crime/personal offense/assault"},{"score":0.601511,"label":"/law
Toby Carvery's decision to cut down a centuries-old oak tree in Enfield has led to public anger and an investigation into its legality
News | London
Residents and conservationists are devastated after a centuries-old oak tree in Enfield was hacked down
The tree, called the ‘Guy Fawkes Oak’ due to its proximity to the Whitewebbs House where the Gunpowder Plot was planned
is believed to have been among the biggest 100 of London's 600,000 oak trees before it was felled
Lawrence-Thor Stephen, of the London-based tree care company Thor’s Trees
told the Standard the tree had a very high ecological value because thousands of species lived in its “very niche habitat”
He added: “It feels like something has been taken away from us that belongs to our children or our children's children.”
Enfield Council received reports that the tree
The tree was cut down earlier this month by contractors hired by Mitchells & Butlers Retail (MBR), the company operating the nearby Toby Carvery and leasing the land where the tree was located from Enfield Council
A Toby Carvery representative said: “The tree was cut back after we were advised that it caused a serious health and safety risk
and so this was an essential action to protect our employees and guests to whom we have a duty of care
“We took every necessary measure to ensure all legal requirements were met […] We are grateful to our expert contractors for warning us of this hazard so swiftly
allowing us to act before anyone was harmed.”
The representative said an arborist the company employed had determined the tree
was dead and that the only option was to remove it
A spokesperson for Mitchells & Butlers said, as per the BBC: "We took necessary measures to ensure any legal requirements were met."
a Mitchells & Butlers source said the company had "done the decent thing"
although they apologised to locals who loved the tree
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But ecology expert Russell Miller said the tree “could have lived for another century or more”
He described the felling as “the worst example I’ve ever seen of inappropriate tree surgery.”
He told the Standard: "It is utterly devastating
No one has seen this kind of destruction before
Mr Stephen was also devastated by the tree’s destruction
“Whatever's [been] done has clearly been done illegally,” he said
He added that the contractors who cut down the tree appeared to be hiding equipment and that the vehicles didn’t have company branding
“It would seem that they were trying to go under the radar.”
Experts conducted a thorough investigation of the site to assess the damage
An emergency tree preservation order has been placed on the tree to protect it from further damage
Mr Stephen told the Standard the tree was “probably the oldest oak tree in the area”
He estimates it is between 300 and 500 years old
Oak trees are valuable for UK wildlife
supporting more than 2,300 species while sequestering planet-heating carbon from the atmosphere
Mr Stephen said some insects living in the tree had been there for hundreds of years and could survive only in those trees
“There are over 1,700 species of vertebrates and some of them require a particular type of dead wood,” he said
Mr Stephen said he had seen bats flying around the tree at night and enjoyed the “beautiful” birdsong that surrounds it
He added that oak trees are also home to more than 50 types of fungi
which again “host habitat and really help with the overall ecology”
Residents have launched a petition calling for an expedited survey of all trees in the park
aiming to identify those eligible for tree preservation orders
The Woodland Trust's Living Legends petition
which seeks to grant heritage trees special status and garnered more than 100,000 signatures
was submitted to Downing Street in November
Mr Stephen said the felling of the tree symbolised a wider threat to London’s green spaces
who are trying to tear [them] down,” he said
The BBC reported that the Met Police confirmed it had received a report from Enfield Council about the tree felling
the force reportedly believes there is no evidence of criminality
Listen to The Standard’s podcast episode: Who Felled Enfield’s ancient oak
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Toby Carvery has come under fire over the felling of an ancient oak tree thought to be more than 400 years old in Whitewebbs Park
The tree, which has a girth of 6.1 metres, is located in near the Whitewebbs House Toby Carvery car park
It had been assessed as dying and a risk to the public by tree experts employed by the company’s owner Mitchells & Butlers
Enfield Council reported the matter to the Metropolitan Police earlier and said they were treating it as criminal damage
It has also put an emergency preservation order in place on the base of the stump
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Environmental campaigners and locals decried the felling as “devastating” and compared it to the felling the Sycamore Gap tree in 2023
Mitchells & Butlers defended the decision
saying it acted on the advice of employed tree experts
But the Woodland Trust has argued that the old tree was still an important habitat
with ancient oaks supporting biodiversity like endangered dead wood beetles
Woodland Trust senior conservation adviser for trees
“Ancient oaks are particularly rich in biodiversity with habitats that take centuries to develop
He added that the development of decaying tree habitats are a “normal and healthy part of a tree’s lifecycle – especially in the ancient phase
“Some of the biodiversity associated with ancient trees
is amongst the most threatened in Europe,” he said
Enfield resident and secretary of the Guardians of Whitewebbs group
“The tree belonged to Enfield and to our national heritage
“Enfield Council cares deeply about protecting trees and green spaces in the borough,” he said
“The council was not informed of this incident until last week
Our teams immediately carried out a full site inspection to assess the damage after receiving reports of the damage done to the tree
“We are treating the matter as criminal damage and have reported it to the police
We’ve now placed a legal protection (Tree Preservation Order) on the tree and are looking at ways to help it grow back.”
It comes as the Tree Council and Forest Research published a report on Monday
which called for a “robust and effective system” of protections as part of a wider action plan to protect England’s most important trees in the wake of the Sycamore Gap tree felling
A spokesperson for Mitchells & Butlers said: “The tree was cut back after we were advised that it caused a serious health and safety risk
our specialist arboriculture contractors made the assessment that the split and dead wood posed a serious health and safety risk and advised that the tree was unsafe and should be removed
“We took every necessary measure to ensure all legal requirements were met
We are grateful to our expert contractors for warning us of this hazard so swiftly
The Met Police said: "We received a report of criminal damage on Saturday
This related to the felling of a tree in Whitewebbs Wood
there is no evidence of criminality in relation to the circumstances behind the felling of the tree
Partners at Enfield Council have been updated that this is a civil matter
"Investigators have established that the tree is not subject to any preservation orders.A decision was made on Tuesday
The council have been informed and we have advised the them to contact us if further information comes to light."
See more Latest News
See more World News
See more More Topics
Undated handout photo issued by Woodland Trust of the site of the felling of an ancient oak tree thought to be more than 400 years old in Whitewebbs Park, Enfield, which was discovered last week(Image: Copyright remains with handout provider)Toby Carvery has come under fire over the felling of an ancient oak tree thought to be more than 400 years old in Whitewebbs Park, north London. The tree, which has a girth of 6.1 metres, is located in near the Whitewebbs House Toby Carvery car park.
It had been assessed as dying and a risk to the public by tree experts employed by the company’s owner Mitchells & Butlers, and was cut down on April 3, the PA news agency understands. Enfield Council reported the matter to the Metropolitan Police earlier and said they were treating it as criminal damage.
It has also put an emergency preservation order in place on the base of the stump. Environmental campaigners and locals decried the felling as “devastating” and compared it to the felling the Sycamore Gap tree in 2023.
Mitchells & Butlers defended the decision, saying it acted on the advice of employed tree experts. But the Woodland Trust has argued that the old tree was still an important habitat, with ancient oaks supporting biodiversity like endangered dead wood beetles.
Ed Pyne, Woodland Trust senior conservation adviser for trees, said: “This is the most shocking fell I think I’ve ever seen in more than a decade working with ancient trees. In my view, and the view of many others, this is ecologically much more significant than the Sycamore Gap – and certainly a more irreplaceable tree.
“Ancient oaks are particularly rich in biodiversity with habitats that take centuries to develop. They simply can’t be replaced by younger trees and can’t be replaced quickly.”
He added that the development of decaying tree habitats are a “normal and healthy part of a tree’s lifecycle – especially in the ancient phase. Some of the biodiversity associated with ancient trees, like the Whitewebbs oak, is amongst the most threatened in Europe,” he said.
Ed Allnut, Enfield resident and secretary of the Guardians of Whitewebbs group, said local people wanted justice for the old oak. “The tree belonged to Enfield and to our national heritage. I am personally devastated,” he said.
“We want answers, and we want guarantees the other trees here are being protected properly.” Ergin Erbil, leader of Enfield Council, said the tree felling occurred on April 3.
“Enfield Council cares deeply about protecting trees and green spaces in the borough,” he said. “The council was not informed of this incident until last week. Our teams immediately carried out a full site inspection to assess the damage after receiving reports of the damage done to the tree.
“We are treating the matter as criminal damage and have reported it to the police. We’ve now placed a legal protection (Tree Preservation Order) on the tree and are looking at ways to help it grow back.” It comes as the Tree Council and Forest Research published a report on Monday, which called for a “robust and effective system” of protections as part of a wider action plan to protect England’s most important trees in the wake of the Sycamore Gap tree felling.
A spokesperson for Mitchells & Butlers said: “The tree was cut back after we were advised that it caused a serious health and safety risk. This was an essential action to protect our employees and guests, to whom we have a duty of care. Upon further inspection, our specialist arboriculture contractors made the assessment that the split and dead wood posed a serious health and safety risk and advised that the tree was unsafe and should be removed.
“We took every necessary measure to ensure all legal requirements were met. We are grateful to our expert contractors for warning us of this hazard so swiftly, allowing us to act before anyone was harmed.”
Some of the oldest trees in Europe are in danger because they are not being given the necessary level of protection
Oak trees (Quercus robur) that are more than 1,000 years old are found in the United Kingdom and in Fennoscandia
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Home News Article
The public outrage over the felling of an ancient oak on the edge of a restaurant park in Enfield highlights the connection many of us have with ancient trees and the natural world more generally
writes Erin McDaid of the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust
Equally it underlines that more must be done to ensure the true value of the natural world and its role in supporting our health
wellbeing and economy are better recognised and protected
which some say could have lived for hundreds years more
has echoes of the high-profile felling of the Sycamore Gap Tree - sometimes known as the Robin Hood Tree due to it featuring in the film Robin Hood
Prince of Thieves - alongside Hadrian’s Wall in 2023
Oaks are amongst our most long-lived trees and this longevity is a key element of why oaks play host to more species of wildlife
from fungi to insects to birds and mammals
While on my university placement as a trainee ranger
an experienced ranger explained that an oak might live as long as 600 years; with a third of its life growing
a third thriving majestically in the landscape and a third slowly dying
While the arguments as to whether the oak in Enfield was dead or not rage on
this long period of ‘decline’ can see veteran trees at their most valuable for nature as they increasingly host deadwood invertebrates
whose larvae in turn provide food for woodpeckers and other species
while cavities in the tree provide niche habitat for nesting birds and bats
Incidents such as these high-profile cases highlight that our cherished trees are
Unless covered by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO)
as illustrated by the accused in the Sycamore Gap case being charged with criminal damage
usually applied where trees are growing in Conservation Areas or on nature reserves
In many cases they are relatively easy to circumvent legally
even the term Conservation Area illustrates the imbalance with how built structures carry implicitly more value than natural features in our legal system – the designation largely relating to architectural features or an area's historical value
Our colleagues at the Woodland Trust have long campaigned for ancient trees to qualify for protection in the same way as heritage buildings
88% of the population support legally protected heritage status for ancient trees
and 85% think national government and its agencies should be responsible for their protection
veteran and trees of other special interest serve many functions – supporting huge biodiversity
helping to clean our air as well as providing a sense of wellbeing and connection
such as the Sycamore Gap Tree or our own Major Oak
they also contribute directly to the local economy through tourism
There is even a standard formula for calculating the financial value of such trees – with the Sycamore Gap Tree and the Enfield Oak being quoted by various sources as being worth somewhere in the region of £600,000 and £1million respectively
Although such financial valuations may usefully be part of any decision-making process linked to the merits of protecting a given tree or calculating compensation where trees are damaged – placing a financial value on natural assets
While a figure of a million pounds might suggest a tree is worth protecting
dedicated legal protections there will always be cases where simple economics mean hugely valued trees will simply be sacrificed in terms of what some might call progress
the plight of ancient and special trees represents the balance that must be struck by the Government in framing the current planning reforms to ensure that the environmental and societal value of species and habitats is not automatically boiled down to a simple choice driven by economics
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decaying logs and mangled old branches are no longer cleared away but valued as habitats for birds and insects
Some of them are 800 years old and have slumped
By the time King Charles I visited in 1625 and turned a collection of medieval farms into the royal park we have today
they would have already been veteran trees
A disused medieval track is visible from the way the trees lean into a gentle gully
Richmond Park is something of an open-air museum
and among its most precious exhibits is its deadwood
View image in fullscreenSimon Richards
manager of Richmond Park: ‘You’re planting trees thinking
what’s that tree going to be like in 400 years’ time?’ Photograph: Jill Mead/The GuardianDeadwood has many guises and starts forming on the inside of healthy standing trees
creating a rich habitat that we still know little about
“How many jobs involve managing assets that are 700 or 800 years old?” says Simon Richards
what’s that tree going to be like in 400 years’ time
That’s a real joy of the job – we’re just a footnote in history.”
England has more ancient oaks than all other European countries put together
This is largely thanks to the long-held obsession of royals and the aristocracy with creating medieval parks to hunt deer
Richmond is one of the best places to see them
But it is a difficult attraction to manage
This national nature reserve and site of special scientific interest (SSSI) is also a popular urban park
Modern London breathes people in – Lycra-clad cyclists
Herds of photographers surround herds of deer
During the pandemic, visitor numbers swelled. “We’re the only show in town at the moment,” said Richards, shortly before the lockdown began to ease. Last June, staff and volunteers picked up 42 tonnes of litter from the park
an increase of 650% from the previous June
“Don’t get me going on the doggy bags,” he says
not referring to the variety you put food in
View image in fullscreenThe number of visitors to Richmond Park grew hugely during lockdown
with 42 tonnes of rubbish left just in June
Photograph: Jill Mead/The GuardianMany feel the elders are not being treated with the respect they deserve
Arthritic old trees shed limbs that make perfect play frames
benches or backdrops for amateur photoshoots
Their gnarled caverns create amazing dens and their bulges give small children a convenient leg-up
you can see which parts are most clambered upon
“Such a small act of picking up a bit of deadwood can destroy a habitat that’s been developing over a number of years. It’s a really difficult issue,” says Peter Lawrence, manager of the royal parks’ Mission: Invertebrate project
“It’s particularly difficult here because it’s such a massive tourist attraction – you’re not just talking to people from the local neighbourhood but to people from all over the world.”
The abundance of deadwood excites ecologists as much as children
and one of the reasons Richmond Park became an SSSI in 1992 is its saproxylic invertebrates (insects that require deadwood for part of their lifecycle)
Park wardens changed their management practices and intentionally left out deadwood
Richards got a number of letters from the public complaining that he had “let the park go”
There are 320 ancient oaks in the park, meaning they are more than 400 years old. These are the oldest of the park’s 1,300 veteran trees
and starting to develop ancient characteristics
View image in fullscreenOne of Richmond Park’s ancient oaks
The trees appear squatter with age and begin to hollow out at the base
Photograph: Jill Mead/The GuardianTrees of this advanced age might look old and tired
but they have lived so long because of these features
Dropping branches and hollowing makes them lighter and more stable
With trees that could pose a risk to the public
so they can drop limbs in peace – they may still have hundreds of years ahead of them
As soon as hollows develop, parakeets, owls, nuthatches, bats and other wildlife compete for them. The fact we put up so many bird-boxes is a reminder that cavities – which are natural nesting sites – are missing from our landscape
Don’t think of deadwood as bad or dangerous – all that deadness has a lot of life in itSteven Falk, naturalistAs well as natural structures within veteran trees, the deadwood itself is full of life. There can be 280 invertebrates in one large handful of rotten wood inside a tree
Richmond Park has more than 1,000 species of beetle
including the nationally rare cardinal click beetle and stag beetle
However, across the country, deadwood is still being cleared away as people try to make woods “tidy”, or because it’s “dead” and unsightly. In wild, natural woodland a quarter of wood is dead, but in most managed woodlands this is less than 10%, according to the Wildlife Trusts
If land managers want to protect these insects, many of which are rare, they need to create light-rich habitats around veteran trees so that flowers can grow near them, meaning pollinators have everything they need to complete their life cycle.
Giving a tree space is a bit like providing it with a pension. It means it has enough light to develop large lateral spreading limbs and space for roots to penetrate deep. If an oak can grow old with grace it can provide value for wildlife in many hundreds of years time, not just the next 50. This will be useful information for those planting the next generation of veteran trees.
Read more“We have a bit of a problem about what we perceive woodland to be,” says Emma Gilmartin, conservation adviser at the Woodland Trust
who specialises in ancient and veteran trees
and certain species certainly require those dark shady spots
But veteran trees are refugia for other species that also require lots of light
Flowers are really light-dependent – to get maximum pollen and nectar sources
we need those open spaces within woodland.”
View image in fullscreenDeadwood and fallen limbs are now left in Richmond Park to help species such as saproxylic invertebrates
Photograph: Jill Mead/The GuardianBack in the park
Richards is examining an old tree surrounded by oaks planted about 10 metres away from it in the 50s and 60s
at a time when people did not yet appreciate the true value of old trees
He is considering whether to chop down competing branches to give the veteran tree the space it needs to age
Election pledges to plant millions of trees are “all meaningless if you don’t look after them”
Richards inspects the health of trees like a doctor might examine human bodies
richer phases of life that command more respect
“People are reluctant to accept the concept of death – we see it in all of us
it’s almost as if we have failed,” says Richards
and the habitat has evolved and is just continuing to recycle.”
Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield on Twitter for all the latest news and features
(WPDE) — Folks along the Grand Strand got to immerse themselves in creativity at the Brookgreen Gardens Art Festival on Saturday
Vendors and artists across the country gathered under the canopy of the 250-year-old live oak trees
Brookgreen Gardens transformed into a showcase of local and national artists' talents
TRENDING:Baby black bear takes morning stroll in Carolina Forest community
we've got authors up here around keepsakes that are signing books
And then of course the art festival where we have over 70 artists that are exhibiting their wares for sale,” said Ashley Gray
the Vice President of Retail Services for Brookgreen Gardens
Brookgreen Gardens expects several thousand people to show up this weekend
The festival continues Sunday from 9:30 a.m
This year's national contest celebrates oaks across the UK
with a shortlist chosen by the Woodland Trust
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Toby Carvery faces possible legal action from Enfield council after a 500-year-old tree was cut down
Council Leader Ergin Erbil said the felling of the historic tree near the Whitewebbs House Toby Carvery car park was an "outrage"
He told LBC: "We're really upset about this
We're looking at all of our legal options and Toby Carvery should not have done this to this ancient oak tree without seeking advice from us and from our experts as the freeholder."
Toby Carvery's parent company Mitchells & Butlers claim the tree had been assessed as dying and a risk to the public by tree experts employed by the group
their experts said the tree was healthy and alive in December 2024
He was not sure where Mitchells & Butlers got advice from before taking the action
but said: "It seems the advice they got is not the right one
it's sprouting some buds and greenery
"So it shows that this tree was still very much alive
and we are looking at all of our legal options
Read more: London's Sycamore Gap? Locals demand answers after 400-year-old oak tree mysteriously felled in London park
Read more: Toby Carvery under fire after felling centuries-old tree in north London
The Woodland Trust has argued that the old tree was still an important habitat
He added that the development of decaying tree habitats are a “normal and healthy part of a tree’s lifecycle – especially in the ancient phase."
Darwin Oak has narrowly missed out on the title Tree of the Year
Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.comand on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
The landmark tree in Shrewsbury polled 20 per cent of the vote in the national contest – just one per cent behind the winning Skipinnish Oak in Scotland
Darwin Oak is estimated to be 550 years old and grows very close to the childhood home of Charles Darwin
but threatened with being felled for the Shrewsbury bypass
thought to be at least 400 years old and hidden away in a Sitka spruce plantation in Lochaber
is a surviving remnant of the native ecosystem
playing host to rare lichens and other species
The tree won 21 per cent of the public vote in this year's competition
which shortlisted a dozen ancient and veteran oak trees across the UK
and will go on to compete in the European Tree of the Year contest early next year
It was not known to modern tree experts until a chance encounter with the Skipinnish ceilidh band
who were playing for the Native Woodland Discussion Group nearby and who directed them to its hidden location
enabling it to be added to the ancient tree inventory
said: "I am delighted that The Skipinnish Oak has won Tree of the Year
"The tree has held a special place in my heart since my father first described it to me
and the first time I saw it many years ago."
The 1,000-year-old Bowthorpe Oak in Lincolnshire
a hollow tree with ancient graffiti inside and boasting the claim three dozen people once stood inside it
The public were given the chance to vote on 12 trees on the theme of magnificent oaks
11 of which had been chosen by a panel of tree experts
along with one nominated by members of the public on social media
oaks can live more than 1,500 years and support 2,300 species of wildlife
and the UK boasts more ancient oaks than the rest of Western Europe combined
As the Woodland Trust is campaigning for more robust legal protections for the country's most valuable trees
the charity said it was an obvious choice to select oaks - which are "ingrained in our heritage" - to make up the shortlist
Dr Kate Lewthwaite from the Woodland Trust said: "The Skipinnish Oak is a magnificent example of the natural heritage we strive to protect
and its recognition as UK Tree of the Year shines a light on the incredible biodiversity that our trees support
"We encourage everyone to celebrate and preserve these vital features of our environment."
The Skipinnish ceilidh band say they are planning to compose a new song in honour of the oak
which they will debut next September at a gig at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow
Woodland sunflower and purple joe-pye weed grow under mature bur oak trees
Co-author Stephen Packard prepares seeds for planting in the woodland
— Vestal Grove in the Somme Prairie Grove forest preserve in Cook County
buckthorn-choked tangle that confronted restoration ecologists 37 years ago
Thanks to the efforts of a dedicated team that focused on rooting up invasive plants and periodically burning
the forest again resembles its ancient self
researchers report in the journal PLOS ONE
Shooting star and wild hyacinth bloom in the forest now
shooting stars and wild hyacinths bloom at the base of mature oak trees each spring
Appalachian brown butterflies and other native insects
birds and reptiles have returned to reclaim the territory
Native plant biodiversity is comparable to the region’s best remnant woodlands that were not as degraded by overgrazing of deer or lack of fire
Hazelnut survived in the grove and increased when light levels increased
The level of success achieved in this 7-acre woodland is rare in restoration ecology
Most such efforts are hamstrung by limited financial resources
Many plant restoration interventions focus on only one technique – such as brush removal or burning to kill invasive plants – and fail to address the other factors that can undermine their efforts
“Even very expensive vegetation restoration projects fail to meet their conservation goals more often than not,” the researchers write
long-term studies of management impacts are rare.”
The team removed a thicket of buckthorn trees choking the forest floor
includes healthy bur oaks with woodland sunflower and purple joe-pye weed
Study co-author Karen Glennemeier confronts a tangle of buckthorn
“We feel like we don’t have a minute to spare from our stewardship, so it’s hard to take time to collect data,” said study co-author Karen Glennemeier, an ecologist with Habitat Research LLC
“But monitoring the ecosystem is essential for understanding the impacts of our management.”
“Once we destroy a natural area, it has proved disturbingly difficult and expensive to bring it back,” said study co-author Greg Spyreas, a research scientist at the Illinois Natural History Survey who focuses on plant ecology and botany
The team burned the landscape roughly every two years
“Collaboration was key to this success,” said study co-author Stephen Packard
a restoration ecologist and land steward of Somme Prairie Grove
volunteers and a variety of research and conservation organizations.”
This team slashed and burned a dense thicket of buckthorn trees
thinned native tree density to give the oaks a chance to reproduce
harvested seed from native plants and scattered that seed in autumn for many years
Dozens of “citizen-science” volunteers led the most detailed work while hundreds of recreational conservationists joined the effort each year
One of many volunteer teams assembled to work in the woods
including ironweed and sweet black-eyed Susan
contractors and volunteers all helped burn the woods
The volunteers hand-weeded invasive garlic mustard
The thinning of trees and ground vegetation allowed more sunlight to penetrate to the forest floor and promoted the restoration of natural woodland grasses and wildflowers
“We initially feared that alien species might be impossible to control over large areas,” Packard said
with regular controlled burns and reseeding of diverse species
most of the nonnative species dropped out by themselves
They couldn’t compete against the natural richness that we had thought of as so fragile.”
Regular controlled burns eliminated most nonnative plants and gave fire-adapted natives an opportunity to flourish
The researchers used several measures of ecosystem health to assess the quality of the restoration
known as the cover-weighted Floristic Quality Index
was very responsive to changes in ecological health
The restoration work began in 1983 but was halted from September 1996 to July 2003 as a result of political wrangling over management of the property
The FQI showed steady improvement in the health and biodiversity of the woods until the hiatus
when the property began to revert to its degraded state
A meeting space in the savanna near Vestal Grove
“The effects were immediate,” Packard said
“Years of work on the site could be seen slipping back into nonnative species dominance
and diversity and native plant community health crashed rapidly.”
shooting stars and golden Alexanders ornament the forest floor in spring
Biodiversity and the conservation quality of the surviving flora increased
many people love to stroll through these restored woodlands
enchanted by their diversity and beauty,” Packard said
“Because of what we’ve learned from this and similar experiments
much larger areas are now being restored more quickly and at less expense.”
Remnant populations of flowers such as violet wood sorrel and yellow stargrass
began to increase dramatically as the buckthorn was cleared
“The opportunity to walk around these woods give you a sense of what Illinois once looked and felt like,” Spyreas said
The INHS is a division of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
To reach Karen Glennemeier, email kglennemeier@gmail.com
To reach Stephen Packard, email sgpackard@comcast.net
To reach Greg Spyreas, email spyreas@illinois.edu
The paper “Dramatic long-term restoration of an oak woodland due to multiple, sustained management treatments ” is available online and from the U. of I. News Bureau.
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241061The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in the Illinois Data Bank
— Four faculty members from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have been newly elected as members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
one of the oldest honorary societies in the United States
physics professor Aida El-Khadra and chemistry professor Jonathan Sweedler are […]
— Educators and researchers have had longstanding concerns about the quality of computer science instruction in U.S
A recent study exploring student learning and computer science teachers’ qualifications in one state suggests that these teachers may be better qualified than those teaching other subjects
— A novel research project has shown that areas with greater amounts of green space have a lower prevalence of police violence
The study is the first to find a significant relationship between greenness levels and fatal police shootings
and it showed that the most socially and economically disadvantaged areas seemed to benefit […]
Email: stratcom@illinois.edu
Phone (217) 333-5010
a tree believed to be more than 1,000 years old
and an ancient specimen shrouded in rainforest bryophytes
The Woodland Trust has announced the nominees for the Tree of the Year 2024 competition
can live for more than 1,500 years and support 2,300 different species of wildlife
from birds and mammals to insects and plants
"We chose the iconic oak because it captures people’s imaginations – from their leaves to their acorns
these trees are ingrained in our heritage," says Dr Kate Lewthwaite
Citizen Science Manager at the Woodland Trust
"Some oaks that are alive today were already centuries old at the time of Queen Elizabeth I
A panel of tree experts chose 11 nominees from across the UK, plus one that was nominated by members of the public. Voting for the Tree of the Year is now open – pick your favourite from the gallery below and cast your vote on the Woodland Trust website
The competition runs until 21 October with a winner announced on 29 October.
Sessile oak (quercus petraea) / Approximate age: 1200 years / Girth: 14.02 metres
Standing in a private garden on the aptly named 'Oak Lane'
the tree must have long been a local landmark
The centre of this sessile oak is totally hollow
with just a few large fragments of the outer bole remaining
It may well be in the latter stages of its immense lifespan.
Vote for the Marton Oak
English oak (quercus robur) / Estimated age: 1000 years / Girth: 13.38 metres
the incredible Bowthorpe Oak has a hollow trunk
and it’s claimed three dozen people once managed to stand inside it
Ancient graffiti marks its inner from bygone visitors
It was named one of 50 Great British Trees by the Tree Council in celebration of the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002.
Vote for the Bowthorpe Oak
Estimated age: 500 years / Girth: 9 metres
Standing alongside several mammoth trees in Great Wood in the grounds of Gregynog Hall
this incredible ancient tree could well have been admired by the likes of Gustav Holst and George Bernard Shaw
who are known to have visited the property
The area is immensely valuable for wildlife and considered one of Wales’ most important ancient parklands and wood pasture habitats.
Vote for the Gregynog Oak
Sessile oak (quercus petraea) / Estimated age: 800-1000 years / Girth: 13.18 metres
hollow tree is the second largest sessile oak on record (after the Marton Oak) and is one of a few ancient oaks associated with Queen Elizabeth I
who is believed to have been positioned by the tree on a hunting excursion in 1591.
Vote for the Queen Elizabeth I Oak
Sessile oak (quercus petraea) / Estimated age: 400+ years / Girth: 8 metres
surrounded by a monoculture of Sitka spruce
it supports a huge ecosystem in its canopy
with a host of temperate rainforest bryophytes and lichens along its bark
whose piper remembered the tree from his childhood
Vote for the Skipinnish Oak
Estimated age: 1000+ years / Girth: 10.32 metres
This colossal multi-stemmed tree is a hybrid of the UK's two native oaks
Its interesting name is probably a corruption of the Scots word ‘meikle’
though some believe it was named after The Michael
Vote for the The Michael
English oak (quercus robur) / Estimated age: 700+ years / Girth: 12.80 metres
Situated on the National Trust's Ickworth Estate
it predates the 18th century Italianate palace by some margin
A significant tree for local people and wildlife
this gnarled old oak is thought to be the oldest on the estate and one of Suffolk’s finest ancient trees
It’s named for the tea parties held beneath its boughs for village children in the 19th century.
Vote for the Tea Party Oak
Estimated age: 1000 years / Girth: 10.74 metres
Growing in the grounds of a school with over 500 years of history
this magnificent oak has seen countless generations of children grow up alongside it
The school was originally founded in 1519 – when the tree was already around 500 years old.
Vote for the King John Oak
Estimated age: 550 years / Girth: 7 metres
This freestanding oak sits very close to The Mount
and it’s easy to imagine this impressive tree and its surrounding countryside helped to inspire a young Charles about the natural world
and 8 other ancient trees are threated to be felled to make way for the Shrewsbury Bypass.
Vote for the Darwin Oak
English oak (quercus robur) / Estimated age: 700-1000 years / Girth: 9.40 metres
One of the last surviving trees of the ancient Jedforest
distorted form may have saved it from felling
as the wood would have been useless for shipbuilding
For 75 years it has played a key role in the annual Jethart Callant's Festival
with a sprig from the tree being used to decorate the leading man
Vote for the Capon Oak
Sessile oak (quercus petraea) / Estimated age: 400+ years / Girth: 7.68 metres
This tree, with its vast, gnarled trunk now split into two towering stems, was likely standing throughout the building, capture, burning and abandonment of nearby Castle Archdale (County Fermanagh) in the 17th century
The area was a hive of activity during the Second World War too
when Castle Archdale was a military base.
Vote for the Castle Archdale oak
Estimated age: 150-300 years / Girth: 3.96metres / Public wildcard nomination
and was nominated by supporter Claire Sheppard
It’s a pollard oak known as the ‘Elephant Oak’ due to its massive trunk
It’s not the easiest place to reach and hence it’s always very quiet; I get a real sense of peace and solitude here.”
Vote for the Elephant Oak
(WTXL) — Recent rainfall is leading to historic flooding along and near the Steinhathcee River
The river is at 23.72 feet Friday morning and continuing to rise
The river is expected to crest on Saturday
it would be only the second time the river was at this level since the gauge was installed in 1950
Continued flooding along the river is expected
with significant impacts to homes likely along the river
The Taylor County Sheriff's Office Division of Emergency Management urges residents take immediate action to protect them and their family
TCSO is advising everyone sign up for Taylor County Alert System at TaylorSheriff.org and monitor social media
Taylor County Road Department is taking steps to clear public roadways
511 says SR-51 at River Ave and SR-51 Northbound and Southbound is closed from US-19 to the Dixie County Line due to flooding
Use caution in the area and seek an alternate route
Coastal and low-lying areas may currently be experiencing high water levels and flooding
The National Weather Service says there are significant flood impacts along River Road NE and in the Ancient Oaks Community in Steinhatchee
Water will begin to impact the RV Park in Tennile
water has flooded all of River Road NE and Ancient Oaks private roads
All houses and mobile homes now have water flowing underneath
Water is also flooding property and is under some houses on Cooey Island near Palm Street NE
Water begins to flood downstream at Steinhatchee Falls Park
Minor flooding of roads begins along River Road NE
Water will begin to encroach onto the yards of residences in the Ancient Oaks Community in Steinhatchee
Steinhatchee Falls Park is subject to closure above this level
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The Skipinnish Oak of Lochaber is in the running for the prestigious Tree of the Year title.
The Skipinnish Oak of Lochaber is in the running for the prestigious Tree of the Year title
against 11 other oak contenders from across the UK
have promised to compose a tune befitting its award-winning status if it takes the top prize
The tree was named by band co-founder Andrew Stevenson
Mr Stevenson led a group of woodland experts to the tree several years ago
The Tree of the Year competition is run by the Woodland Trust to celebrate the contribution trees make to our lives and the planet
The winner will represent the UK in the Europe Tree of the Year competition
Mr Stevenson said: “I’ve known this tree all my life
It was part of my childhood and was a feature of the landscape I grew up in
“Little did I know that a guided walk with some experts many years ago would lead to Skipinnish having a thousand-year-old oak named after us and is now in the running for this accolade
He added: “Our music is rooted in the land
the sea and the people of the Highlands and Islands
“We will strengthen this link further with some new music specially for The Skipinnish Oak should it come out on top in the poll and to add to its history.”
Accordionist and singer Angus MacPhail added: “The Skipinnish Oak being recognised as Tree of the Year would be a wonderful addition to our 25th anniversary year
“Make sure you vote Skipinnish for this mighty oak and for new some music
“This tree’s longevity and steadfastness puts our short 25 years in perspective
“But there’s plenty to be learned from an ancient tree that’s stood this long in a changing world.”
To vote for Tree of the Year, visit https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/. Voting closes on October 21.
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When people think about the landscape of central Illinois prior to European settlement they tend to think “prairie,” vast expanses of flat land covered in tall grass and tall flowers
But groves of trees intruded on the grasslands here and there
especially on the eastern edges of rivers and streams
which created natural breaks to prairie fires driven by winds from the west
Such groves were dominated by fire-resistant species of oak
on property of the Quaker Meetinghouse in Urbana
Farther from the center of town on East Main
a still larger bur oak can be seen on the eastern edge of the site of the Friends Meetinghouse
We can take this tree to be roughly 240 years old now
when the International Society of Arboriculture recognized it as a “bicentennial tree.”
which is on University Avenue near the Carle complex
there’s yet another bicentennial oak marked with a plaque
Greater numbers of oaks that predate European settlement can be seen—and hugged—at some other Urbana Park District sites
Some of the largest trees in Crystal Lake Park and Busey Woods are relics of the Big Grove
as are 10 or so of the trees at Weaver Park on East Main Street
If you’re interested to do a little more reading before you head out on your treehugging adventure, check out the Website “Children of Giants” recently established by UI professor of entomology Stewart Berlocher at http://www.life.illinois.edu/berlocher/biggrove
College of Media
Options over felling trees not fully debated
December 27) describes the plan to fell eight mature oak trees at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Lynn “a disgraceful disregard of preservation orders”
large and medium oak) occupy land selected to build a sterile services unit
The planning application lists eight alternative on-site locations
Was the ambulance service approached to find out if there could be an alternative site for them
Another option was discounted because of a pedestrian link
Was the possibility of creating a link elsewhere looked into
These locations were not fully debated by the planning committee because the sifting panel decided not to ‘call in’ the application
To review each of the options may seem a lot to ask but as the council’s arboriculture officer pointed out these trees are “irreplaceable”
The contribution of oak trees to landscapes
A live oak is the most effective tree at capturing carbon
it can capture 10,994 equivalent pounds of CO2
Oak trees also assist the soil in absorbing and storing carbon
storing it in the soil and trees and releasing oxygen into the atmosphere as they grow
But perhaps their greatest feat is nurturing wildlife
They are a haven for a colossal 2,300 wildlife species
Over 40 years ago the people responsible for building the hospital recognised these same trees’ importance by building around them
there is the promise to plant young trees as mitigation but it would take decades before newly planted trees fulfil the environmental and biodiversity functions of these mature trees
that also depends on the replacement trees surviving
According to the borough’s Local Plan natural resource protection and environmental enhancement are priorities
A sterile services building must be built but cannot the extra mile be ran to try to find a solution that allows these trees to continue to benefit the environment and people of West Norfolk
Tree Preservation Orders are given to protect trees and woodlands if their removal or changes to them would have a significant impact on the local environment”
I'm sure there is a logical reason for persisting with this somewhat incriminating sign and I can only assume the borough council's caveat is they've avoided mentioning which year..
I enjoy reading the correspondence of Alan Mudge in Viewpoint and agree with some of the contents
but I have reservations about his photograph in Picture of the Week on December 27
showing a grey squirrel eating bird food from a pergola
It looked cute and fluffy and undoubtedly some readers will enjoy looking at the snapshot
but there is a largely unknown side to this pestilent visitor to our gardens
They were classed legally as vermin by the Wildlife and Countryside Act in 1981 for good reasons attributable to their contributions to destruction
Grey squirrels are notorious for meddling into nests
and they also have a propensity for plant ruination
They were brought to the UK from North America in the 19th and 20th centuries and wiped out most of our native red squirrels which are relatively harmless
Grey squirrels are rodents with bushy tails
yet the same admirers are fearful of sewer rats entering gardens with similar diseases to those of their cousins
If my garden was invaded by these unwelcome creatures
I would have no compunction about engaging pest control at the council if any of these parasites invaded my bird table
There will be those who will call me a killjoy for writing this letter but factual information must trump sentimental fallacies
Philip Wagstaff's response to my letter suggesting a tax on farms could make land available for even more solar panels sounds like the politics of envy
I know that there are vast acres owned by a handful of people and organisations and I would have no trouble in seeing them pay a fairer share of tax
if it is known that such ownership is to take advantage of substantial tax breaks
is a means of destroying the huge number of working farms that supply our food
were we already in a position to have all our energy from these much vaunted panels and wind turbines
how many of us would have experienced black-outs over Christmas
to be unsuitable for both means to supply much if anything from their respective systems
They may have a contribution to make in the supply of energy but I don't hear very much about the rank hypocrisy of such devices being manufactured in China (the biggest polluter of all) who take up our share of pollution because we do not make all these systems ourselves
If indeed your readers are concerned about the planet and the way this government is now pushing even harder for net zero
they may wish to look into The Climate and Nature Bill (CAN)
a private members bill that will have its second reading on January 24
While by its nature it may well not make it into law
it would appear to have the support of three Norfolk MPs
On reading the information about the outcome of this bill
its requirements could not only be draconian but at vast cost to the nation
It is not possible to quantify the extent of scrutiny such an open-ended bill would receive in parliament when Net Zero was imposed on us after a paltry 90 minutes of debate
The World Resources Institute has summarised what will be required from us: "To achieve net-zero emissions
rapid transformation will be required across all global systems - from how we power our economies
to how we transport people and goods and feed a growing population.”
All this has the appearance of net zero on steroids
so how concerned should we be about the possibility that the CAN Bill could become a reality
I would like to reply to Philip Wagstaff: ‘So where are all these local landowning farmers?’
It is pretty clear that Mr Wagstaff is not a country person or he would be well aware of many farming families from Norfolk
The inheritance tax this Government is trying to push through is not good in my countryman’s eyes
Family farms are the backbone of this country
with people working from dawn to dusk to keep them running
The estates he quoted have been here for many years
I am well aware of some foreign land owners but there are still many family farms
I used to help on some of these farms during harvest times and many of these farms are still being run by the next generation
We need to look after family estates - these farmers need all the support they can get
I do accept we need to do something about this and some land has to be taken - but not the amount that is at the moment
Why not bring in a building regulation so there are new panels on all these new houses the Government is proposing
Click here to read Your Local Paper & Lynn News e-editions
a conservation adviser to the crown estate at Windsor
has a provocative take on our ‘living heritage’
who has lived his whole life around Windsor Great Park and still works as a conservation adviser for the crown estate
is also a staunch advocate for King Charles’s protection of Britain’s unique trove of ancient trees
Taking the Guardian on a grand tour of Windsor Great Park
which contains one of the greatest concentrations of old oaks in the world
Green says the king is not only conserving these irreplaceable
uniquely biodiverse living monuments but their genetics in the next generation of ancient trees
We pass through private gates where he once trespassed, and Green points to King Offa’s oak
a spectacularly stout and sprawling oak which could be 1,300 years old
“The tree you are looking at is a 1000-year-old gene bank with more than thousand-year-old gene-bank soil,” he says
“Conserving the genes of these ancient trees is absolutely priceless.”
The sapling next to it – and dozens of others across the park – have been personally planted by the king
after being successfully propagated from twigs of ancient oaks to preserve their unique genes in the next generation
mycorrhizal fungi and micro-organisms associated with the ancient tree should colonise the graft sapling’s roots – which are grown from Windsor acorns – to ensure the biological continuity of hundreds of species supported by the original old tree
Green has spent his life challenging authority and scientific orthodoxies
Born in the village of Cheapside bordering the park
Green’s father was missing at war for much of his childhood and was later confirmed dead when a US submarine sank a Japanese boat that did not have any markings to show that it was carrying prisoners of war
Green and his war-widow mother were evicted from their home and lived for two years in an ex-army concrete shed with a leaking roof
Childhood illnesses meant Green skipped school and
often roamed wild – trespassing – in Windsor Great Park
Here he developed an encyclopaedic knowledge of trees and birds
he cycled 160 miles (260 km) in two days to go birdwatching in Norfolk
An eminent bird scientist spotted Green’s potential and encouraged him into a technician job at Imperial College’s field station close to the park
Green helped a wide range of scientists before Thatcher’s university cuts led to his redundancy
Then he became an adviser to the crown estate at Windsor
renowned for connecting sometimes warring ecologists
Green’s advice to the Knepp estate about its struggling ancient oaks played a crucial role in its owners Charlie Burrell and Isabella Tree rewilding their land
“Rewilding is conservation of the soil,” says Green
According to Tree
Green “is mycorrhizal fungi” – a connector of ideas and people
free thinker” who constantly challenges received wisdom and conservation dogma
“What is amazing about Ted is how he thinks,” she says
he didn’t go through that formal university route
He was self-taught from roaming feral as a child
He’s happy to table-thump and say ‘that’s nonsense’ in meetings
He loves cross-pollinating and that’s what science needs
View image in fullscreenTed Green, 89, remains an adviser to the crown estate at Windsor. Photograph: Alicia Canter/The GuardianGreen’s new memoir, Treetime, which is published by the Arboricultural Association charity and was funded by Green himself after he won £25,000 on the premium bonds
says shade is worse for British woods than high deer populations
and is a fierce critic of “the current unimaginative national crusade to cover our countryside in dense
lifeless plantation forestry … under the guise of carbon capture”
He argues that open-grown trees that grow for 400 years will sequester far more carbon than a cluster of small-crowned plantation trees with less than a century of life
Open-grown trees also bring huge biodiversity benefits
“The urban forest is incredibly important because they’re all open-grown trees,” he points out
Britain has a wealth of such trees: England has at least 3,400 ancient oaks (more than 400 years old), estimated to be more than can be found across the rest of continental Europe. Oaks help support more than 2,000 species of animal, plant and fungi. In contrast, non-native spruce has been found to support just 37 species of invertebrate
“We’re a small island that got coal and so the demand for wood fuel decreased,” explains Green
“We also haven’t had a war for 400 years – and refugees and armies needed wood wherever they went – and above all we’ve kept our aristocracy
there are benches beside the River Thames “that have more protection than our ancient trees”
“Pretty well every other country in Europe reveres their old trees
We just take them for granted,” says Green
According to Green and other ancient tree specialists, tree preservation orders are not fit for purpose because local authorities lack the resources to enforce the law and protect trees
He wants a listing system for ancient trees
with funding to enforce protections and help owners positively manage their old trees
The Heritage Trees bill
introduced as a private member’s bill in the Lords by Barbara Young this month
would do that but the prospects of it becoming law without government support is slim
Green fears that mainstream conservation doesn’t “recognise our obligation” to save our trove of ancient trees
If we want to look at the health of Europe
we only have to look at the health of the trees
Our single biggest obligation is the care of our ancient trees north of the Mediterranean.”
it would be “for our trees to command the same respect and recognition that we give our historic buildings”
This article was amended on 3 January 2024
Ted Green’s father died when a Japanese ship
with no markings to show that it was carrying prisoners of war
was torpedoed by a US submarine; the ship was not sunk by Japanese forces as an earlier version said
A mighty oak tree on the famous Gregynog Estate in mid Wales that’s at least 500 years old has been named as Wales’ nomination for the Woodland Trust’s Tree of the Year competition
The ancient oak measures a mighty nine metres at its widest point and is the only tree from Wales nominated for the UK competition
People can now vote for the Gregynog Oak online
the tree is up against 11 other amazing oaks from across the UK
Voting is open until 11.59pm on October 21 and the Woodland Trust will announce this year’s UK winner on October 29
The winner goes on to the European Tree of the Year competition
One of Wales’ premier country house estates
Gregynog Hall is located on the edge of Tregynon village
near Newtown and is now run by The Gregynog Trust
The 750–acre estate is designated a National Nature Reserve
considered to be one of Wales’ most important ancient parklands and wood pasture habitats
the trust’s director of business development
said: “The magnificent Gregynog Oak stands alongside several mammoth trees in the Great Wood in the grounds of Gregynog Hall
“We are so excited to be named as Wales’ nomination for Tree of the Year
Gregynog Oak is a brilliant reminder of estate’s incredible history since the first house was built here in the 12th century
“Our woodland is a globally significant area of Specific Scientific Interest with rare lichens in the ancient oak forest as well as redstarts
pied fly catchers and three types of woodpecker
a charity which took over the management the hall and estate from the University of Wales in 2019
is working with the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust to study the exceptionally biodiverse nature on the estate
“The woodland at the hall has just been awarded the status of being part of Wales’ National Forest
the impressive Gregynog Oak hosts countless species including important lichens
With many esteemed visitors to the hall over the years
George Bernard Shaw and Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin may have admired this incredible tree
There is a footpath to the Gregynog Oak from the hall through the Great Wood.”
The estate is open every day with miles of woodland paths to explore and a brilliant café to visit
A £3 parking fee helps maintain the gardens and woodland
Gregynog Hall is best known as the home of sisters Gwendoline and Margaret Davies
remarkable Welsh women who had a revolutionary vision to create a place in Wales which would be a true cultural and artistic centre
they amassed one of the great art collections of the 20th century
Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings and sculptures to the National Museum of Wales in 1951 and 1963
completely transforming its art collection in character
The sisters’ achievements and the events that took place at Gregynog helped shape the history of Wales
the foundations of the Arts Council of Great Britain
make huge strides towards improved public health and the Council of the League of Nations
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