at Thorndon Country Park, near Brentwood, the heathland, acid grassland and
woodland habitats determined the SSSI boundary but many of the most important
ancient trees we have now identified there still lie outside the these boundaries.
Fortunately, the owners, Essex County Council, are well aware of their
responsibilities for these trees and are protecting them carefully.
A symbol of biodiversity
The importance of the vast number of ancient trees in the UK was not declared fully
until the late eighties and early nineties. In 1991 the Ancient Tree Forum was founded
to promote their protection, care and management amongst owners. At the same time
with the politicians' pronouncements from Rio and the signing of the Convention on
Biological Diversity, biodiversity became the buzz-word for many other people than
just the conservationists. With ancient trees, of course, there are large numbers of
associated rare fungi and an enormous array of dependent invertebrates and so their
importance for biodiversity helped to raise their conservation profile further. In fact
there is no greater or better symbol of biodiversity in this country than a veteran
tree.
Furthermore, for all sorts of reasons the UK supports a disproportionate number of
ancient trees when compared with the rest of Europe (Rackham 1986). As a result we
have come to realise, belatedly, that here in this country we are guardians of one of
the greatest natural resources in Europe.
Action
By the mid-1990s the message from the Ancient Tree Forum had been taken up
enthusiastically. English Nature started up its Veteran Trees Initiative with workshops
around the country being arranged for fanners and oilier land managers in particular.
The Initiative has culminated in the publication of several guides and an excellent
book on veteran tree management (Read 2000).
Well, what about Essex? This county is one of the most important for its ancient tree
sites with Epping, Hainault and Hatfield Forests nationally renowned for their trees.
These well-known sites are well protected and now managed with ancient trees as the
focus of attention. However, there arc many "undiscovered" delights which people
may walk past every day without realising their importance. In the parish of Roydon
in the south west, tree wardens carrying out a Tree Council inspired survey of
"Landmark Trees" uncovered several lovely examples of such trees. These included a
beautiful Hornbeam pollard which had for many years remained unnoticed, even by
local villagers, hidden as it was behind undergrowth and below the level of a nearby
path.
Even whole sites can go unappreciated, overlooked or undervalued by naturalists. At
Furze Hills, near Mistley (see Plate 1) there is an amazing collection of old Oaks
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Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 33, September 2000