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The Incredible Significance of the Enfield Oak
The Enfield Oak is not as well known as the Sycamore which was wantonly vandalised at Sycamore Gap, but environmentally and ecologically it’s loss is far more significant. One of around only 20 ancient Oaks in London. It is irreplaceable. What is left of the trunk must be left in place, it may even sprout anew. If, as suggested, part of it was dying, it should have been protected by fencing. Once Oaks reach that age they start to lose branches. Some even stated it was dead; really, during the winter, with no leaves? On the other hand it sounds like financial and development pressures led to its destruction. So, it had to be felled before it came into leaf! Oak trees can live more than 1000 years. An Oak tree supports more than 280 species of insects. It provides nest sites for many birds from Woodpeckers to Blue Tits. Mature Oaks support a vast network of underground fungi and support a fantastic understorey of plants when undisturbed. There is as much weight of an…
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How Many Climate Change Warnings do we Need
As storm Eowyn hits Yorkshire I wonder how many climate change warnings do we need. We are definitively in a climate emergency, despite the denials from international leaders and influencers who should know better. How Many Climate Change Warnings do we Need What are the 7 effects of climate change? What are 10 ways to reduce global warming? Government Trump
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Sustainability in Farming
When I talk about sustainability in farming, which I do a lot, I don’t just mean looking after the environment and reducing global warming. I mean making sure farming communities benefit in future from sustainability in farming. They need to earn a decent living whilst caring for our precious countryside. And currently, in the UK, farming patently isn’t sustainable at all. The average age of a farmer has been rising steadily for years and is now about 65. That tells you something is seriously wrong. “Our Sustainability Snippet” I met this tree which stands alone in a field in Dentdale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park in July 2023. It is vast. A Sycamore, the girth 4 metres plus, putting it at about 450 years old. It is grazed to the base yet one or two epiphytes cling to its upper branches. It should be the centre-piece of a rehabilitated woodland, surrounded by Sessile Oak, Hazel and Birch. I registered it with the Woodland Trust that very night. They were unaware of its existence. Sustainability…
