Ancient trees are hugely important as landmarks in time and place. Trees live longer than any other living things -some live much longer than others, so the definition of ‘ancient’ applies differently to each species. For example, a birch tree can be regarded as ancient if it reaches 400 years, where as this is comparatively young for an oak which can reach a thousand years, or a yew tree that is still going strong at 2,000.

Aesthetically, trees age beautifully. Oaks become ‘stag-headed’ when they grow old, shedding limbs, shrinking and becoming hollow - which makes them more stable. They gather increasing numbers of insects, ferns, mosses and lichens over time, cavities for birds to nest in, sap runs for food for insects and birds.

So ancient trees are not just beautiful landmarks, they are habitats in their own right, some hosting species of insects that are found no where else. The world population of the Moccas beetle Hypebaeus flavipes can only be found on the old oaks of Moccas Park. For this reason alone, they are worth fighting for. According to Oliver Rackham “ten thousand oaks of 100 years old are not a substitute for one 500 year old oak” for its value to wild life. So the assumption that it is good enough to replace a sapling for an old tree just doesn’t stand up.

Apart from their value for wild life, many old trees have cultural and historic associations. But ‘historic’ trees are not automatically given legal protection. They may not qualify to have TPOs put on them if they are not in the public realm or are considered dangerous in any way. The Tree Council and others are campaigning for these ‘green monuments’ to gain special protected status – in the same way special buildings are listed.

How to campaign to save ancient trees

First, make an inventory of the ancient trees in your parish. Contact the Ancient Tree Forum for help and advice as to what constitutes ‘ancient’ in their terms. All old trees are worth fighting for, so don’t be put off if your tree is only 200 years old (how else will we replenish the ancient ones?)

Find out from the Tree Officer at your district / borough council if the trees you locate are covered by TPOs or are in a Conservation Area.

Research old books, maps, photographs to find out as much as you can about the history of your old trees, and write a biography for each.

Write about the value of your trees in parish and local newspapers

Involve local people in their care.

Support the Tree Council’s campaign to get historic trees protected as ‘green monuments’. greenmonuments [at] treecouncil . org . uk

English Nature is trying to find the best ways of conserving species that are specific to one tree or group of trees – as with the beetle on the old oaks in Moccas Park. They are planting young oaks close enough to the old trees so that over time, the beetles etc can migrate to them. The idea is to nurture an eventual replacement tree (could take 500 years) long before an ancient tree dies. The distance between the trees is crucial because oaks don’t like to touch another tree, and in Windsor Great Park, Ted Green champions the creation of ‘haloes’ around the old oaks.

Ancient Tree Forum - www . ancient-tree-forum . org . uk or www . woodsunderthreat . info
The Woodland Trust - www . woodland-trust . org . uk
Ancient Yew Group - www . ancient-yew . org +44(0)1234 768884
English Nature - Dr Keith Kirby, Forestry & Woodland Officer, +44(0)1733 455000 x5245
The Tree Council - 71 Newcomen Street, London SE1 1YT www . treecouncil . org . uk

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