According to a new map, there could be around two million trees in England with exceptional environmental and cultural value that have previously gone unrecorded. That is ten times the number currently on official records. This tree-map strikes a rare note of hope in the conservation world. However, the Woodland Trust warns that these trees, known as "ancient or veteran specimens," have "nearly no" legal protection.
It comes after the council felled a centuries-old oak tree in Peterborough on Wednesday, claiming it was the most likely cause of "structural damage" to nearby homes. The BBC involved in the hunt for one of these ancient giants. They followed Steve Marsh of the Woodland Trust through brambles and rhododendrons on the Ashton Court Estate near Bristol in search of the legendary Domesday Oak.
Instead, they came across an ancient, unnamed tree that the Trust has no record of. An ancient tree is considered to be unusually old for its age; they are sometimes referred to as "living archaeology." They have more biodiversity than a thousand 100-year-old oaks and are extremely rich in wildlife. Veteran trees have the characteristics of ancient specimens but are younger in age.