HUNT LAUNCHED FOR SPECIAL TREES IN SOUTH-WEST SCOTLAND
The hunt is on for Galloway and the south-west's most special trees.
Tall trees, old trees, rare trees, wide trees, trees with historical, cultural or scientific significance, and trees that are just plain weird and wonderful are being sought for inclusion in a book that will celebrate Scotland's most special, or "heritage", trees.
The book will be the second, enlarged edition of the popular "Heritage Trees of Scotland", which was published in 2003 and celebrated 100 special Scottish trees.
But no trees in Galloway and the far south-west made it into the first edition. And the new book's publishers, Forestry Commission Scotland and The Tree Council, feel certain there must be some hidden arboricultural gems waiting to be discovered in Galloway, and are appealing to local people to come forward and nominate them for the second edition.
Heritage Trees of Scotland chairman James Ogilvie, of Forestry Commission Scotland, said,
"When we ran the Heritage Trees of Scotland campaign as part of the very successful Treefest Scotland 2002 festival, we had a fantastic response from members of the public in almost every corner of Scotland who contacted us to tell us about special trees. As a result, we uncovered some real gems that we didn't know about, and it prompted us to publish a book as well as promote the trees on the website. Many of the trees that we first learned about from the public are now celebrated in the book and on the website.
"However, for some reason we didn't get any strong contenders from Galloway and the far south-west of Scotland. We're sure there must be some potential heritage trees there, and we're keen to find out about them so that we can consider them for the second edition of the book. So we're appealing to anyone in the area who knows of some extra-special trees there to let us know.
"Heritage trees might be of great age or size; they might have historical significance, botanical interest, or associations with people or events in Scotland’s history, or they might be rare or unusual in some way. Some qualify as heritage trees simply because they are really weird, perhaps because of a peculiar growth characteristic.
"Many of the heritage trees we have featured are contributing to the local economy because they have become visitor attractions, and as a result many are enjoying greater care and protection to ensure they continue to be enjoyed by future generations, so there can be real benefits from having them recognised in this way."
The second edition of the book will be published in autumn 2006 and will feature most of the 100 trees in the first edition, as well as about 30 others that have come to light since the book was published.
Anyone wishing to notify a possible Heritage Tree should write to: Heritage Trees of Scotland, c/o James Ogilvie, Forestry Commission, 231 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh, EH12 7AT, (e-mail: james.ogilvie@forestry.gsi.gov.uk), giving precise details of the tree’s species, location, ownership and the reason why it is special, and including their daytime telephone number. An Ordnance Survey map reference is the best means of giving a tree’s location, but anything that will help identify it, such as a postcode and photograph, is useful.
- Copies of "Heritage Trees of Scotland", priced £9.99, are available by mail, telephone, fax or e-mail order from Forestry Commission Publications, P.O. Box 25, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS23 7EW; telephone 0870 121 4180; fax: 0870 121 4181; e-mail: forestry@twoten.press.net
NOTE TO EDITOR:
- Treefest Scotland 2002 was a year-long festival of more than 800 events across Scotland to celebrate and promote Scotland's rich heritage of trees, woods and forests. Heritage Trees of Scotland began as an Internet promotion by Forestry Commission Scotland as a contribution to Treefest, and the keen public interest in it prompted the publication of the book.
NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: Charlton Clark, Forestry Commission press office, 0131 314 6500; mobile: 07810 181067.
e-mail: charlton.clark@forestry.gsi.gov.uk |