The Prince of Wales has called for the nation’s “dwindling” historic natural habitat to be renewed as he unveiled a collection of ancient woodlands and trees dedicated to the Queen to mark her Platinum Jubilee.
Prince Charles said these “precious” assets, which support biodiversity and provided materials for craft workers, needed to be preserved for future generations.
Among the 70 ancient woodlands and 70 trees dedicated to the Queen are some of the nation’s most natural features, from the Boscobel Oak in Shropshire, a descendant of the tree Charles II used to hide from parliamentary forces in 1651, to Sussex’s Five Hundred Acre the inspiration for 100 Acre Wood in the Children’s classic Winnie the Pooh.
Another entrant is Sir Isaac Newton’s apple tree in the orchard at Woolsthorpe Manor near Grantham, Lincolnshire, which caused the mathematician to question why apples always fell straight down to the ground.
Charles’ comments were made in a video message recorded under one of the 70 ancient trees, the old Sycamore at Dumfries House in Scotland, home to the heir to the throne’s Prince’s Foundation.
He said: “I believe it is absolutely vital that we do our utmost to nurture our historic inheritance through careful management and, in the case of the woodlands, that we can expand them and link them to other natural features like our hedgerows.
“And if we are to create the ‘ancient’ trees of the future, we must plant more trees in hedgerows, fields, churchyards and avenues.
“Furthermore, I would suggest that some of those planted should be propagated from today’s ancient trees, thus helping to preserve their unique provenance and heritage.
“These working woodlands and magnificent trees span our nation’s amazing landscape and exist for everyone to enjoy.
“At the same time, they support biodiversity, and help to provide us with the most versatile and beautiful of materials for our craftsmen and women.”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.