The Woodland Trust is on the lookout for information on Monmouthshire’s ancient trees.

Despite all the hardship caused by a year of lockdowns, it has given residents a chance to explore their back yards. A few weeks ago the Beacon reported ways in which walkers were collating and chronicling their favourite routes, there’s now a similar challenge put to those with knowledge of Monmouthshire’s trees.

The Woodland Trust is collating information on all ancient, veteran and notable trees from crowd-sourced knowledge.

All the data collected is publicly visible on their tree database at ati.woodlandtrust.org.uk

Anybody is able to look-up notable trees as well as add newly discovered ones, using the tree search page.

The Beacon reported on concerns over the upkeep of one of Monmouth’s oldest trees—a 1,000 year old oak in Wyesham—back in 2008.

The tree, the namesake of its neighbourhood, Oak Crescent, is well known for its age. Worries about its health were raised as a result of cars regularly parking directly beneath it. It has since been fenced off for its protection.

The pedunculate oak was shortlisted for Wales’ tree of the year in 2015.

Ancient trees are as much a part of our heritage as stately homes, cathedrals and works of art; but they don’t get the same protection says the Woodland Trust.

Identifying where ancient trees are is one step closer to giving them the care and protection they need.

Records of these oldest and most characterful trees help the organisation to identify ancient tree hot spots, monitor current threats and future losses as well plan how best to conserve them in the future.

The Woodland Trust say that the majority of important trees are unprotected. The UK’s ancient trees have no automatic right of protection. There is no equivalent to scheduled ancient monument status, which important archaeological sites have.

They can be permanently damaged and even lost to a culture of safety and tidiness. They can be removed when land uses change and they have to compete with surrounding trees against overcrowding and gradual, creeping damage.