Living Links Get Special Protection
Mon 6th Jun 2011
Landmarc has joined forces with its military partners and the Woodland Trust to unearth and record centuries-old ancient trees across the Defence Training Estate.Ancient trees - like historic buildings and archaeological remains - provide a link to our past and the Woodland Trust’s Ancient Tree Hunt project is finding and recording all of the ancient trees growing within the UK so that they can be offered greater protection to ensure their survival.
From ancient yew trees on the limestone crags above Swaledale, in Yorkshire, to the medieval oaks of Yardley Chase, in Northamptonshire and the gnarled oaks at Sennybridge, in Wales, the MOD estate retains some of the oldest trees in the country.
It is thought that some of the ancient yew trees on Catterick Training area are over 2,000 years old - some of the oldest trees in the country – and may well have been used for shelter by Roman soldiers, or Viking raiders.
Recognising the importance of protecting its fragile tree inheritance, Landmarc has begun the process of recording the location and basic information of these trees on the land it manages in conjunction with the MOD and the Ancient Tree Hunt.
Ross Guyton, Landmarc’s Woodland Management and Arboricultural Advisor said:
“We are delighted to be assisting in the recording, future management and preservation of these priceless national monuments. We have always been conscious of their presence on the Defence Training Estate and welcome the opportunity to discover, document and protect them”.
A number of training days and workshops have been run across the country run by the Woodland Trust for the MOD and personnel involved in the management of the rural Defence estate including at Pentlands, in Scotland; Sennybridge, in Wales; Otterburn, in Northumberland; Catterick, in Yorkshire; Stanford Training Area, in Norfolk; Salisbury Plain, in Wiltshire; and Longmoor, in Hampshire.
Jon Watson, Senior Estate Surveyor (Forestry) for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation said: “The MOD estate has vast numbers of Ancient and Veteran trees, but we simply don’t know how many we’ve got. They provide a living link to our past, so we need to identify where they are so we can manage them for future generations to enjoy.”
“This comprehensive survey helps us better understand the number of ancient trees on the MOD estate. By identifying and recording their details on a national data base, it will ensure that these hugely important keepers of time can be retained and protected.”
Everyone can join in the Ancient Tree Hunt. For more information call the Ancient Tree Hunt on 01476 581135 or visit the website www.AncientTreeHunt.org.uk