WESTONBIRT'S TREE EXPERTS NOTICE SHIFT IN AUTUMN COLOUR PEAK
 Autumn colour at the National Arboreta, Westonbirt - recently ranked in the world’s top 30 unmissable spectacles by the Sunday Times Travel Magazine - is expected to arrive early this year as a result of one of the wettest summers on record.
Early signs of autumn have been recorded since late August and this is likely to be a result of waterlogged soil forcing the trees to shut down and go into ‘autumn mode’, said curator Simon Toomer.
This year visitors are being encouraged to visit the rising star of the autumn at Westonbirt - an area called The Link in Silk Wood which leads to the National Maple Collection, one of the biggest in the world. Giant English oaks and birches create a towering backdrop to a rare and interesting collection of maples, including the arboretum’s own Heritage collection.
The colour spectacle usually peaks mid-late October, although last year it was two weeks later than normal. To help the thousands of ‘leaf peepers’ pick the best time to visit, the arboretum’s website (www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt) has regular photographic updates of the collection as it turns.
The shift in timing of autumn is a natural phenomenon, but experts at Westonbirt believe that climate change is contributing to the more erratic pattern and global warming is now within every agenda at the arboretum. Hugh Angus, Head of Tree Collections for the National Arboreta, was a guest speaker earlier this year at the global debate on climate change at an international conference in China. At the third Global Botanic Gardens Congress in Wuhan he addressed more than 900 plant experts from around the world, along with National Pinetum Curator Chris Reynolds.
“Too often we work in isolation and it’s vital that we take a world view on climate change because so many plants are going to be threatened. For example, 35 per cent of the world’s conifers are at risk,” Hugh explained. “Trees are not very adaptable because they live for a long time and cannot move, and it’s the speed of change that we are witnessing that is worrying.”
Westonbirt has ambitious plans to develop its role as a centre for learning about the plight of trees worldwide. Simon Toomer recently visited New Zealand to learn more about native trees and consider species to add to the collection in Gloucestershire. “Unfortunately, it is not simply a question of finding trees from slightly warmer climates. Rainfall, sunlight and a whole range of other factors play a part in determining a plant’s suitability for our climate, and selection will be gradual and an on-going process that will, like climate change itself, take many decades to develop. Widening the range of species in the collection will help to ensure its survival in an uncertain future.”
“At Westonbirt we continue to make the arboretum more resilient and adaptable to changing conditions, such as climate change, by removing trees that are not thriving in order to make space for young vigorous ones. We will also need to care for the soil by developing ways of improving water retention and relieving compaction,” he explained.
The Forestry Commission is involved in several different research projects on new trees and how to grow them to ensure that the forests of the UK continue to produce timber for future generations.
This year the Autumn Trail will open from September – mid November for visitors to witness the famous colour spectacle in its many stages, and to learn more about the trees that contribute to the autumn palate in temperate regions around the globe.
“We can never forecast when autumn will arrive - but here at Westonbirt we can always guarantee that it will be amazing when it does!” said Simon Toomer.
Admission charges are as follows: Until September 31st £7 adult, £2 child, £6 concession; from October-mid November £7.50 adult, £2 child, £6.50 concessions. For more information, visit www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt or call the Arboretum on 01666 880220.
Notes to Editors:
1. Westonbirt - The National Arboretum, is renowned worldwide for its tree and shrub collection. It contains nearly 16,000 specimens, including almost half of those woody plants known to grow in the world's temperate climate zone, and covers 600 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds. Its importance is recognised by English Heritage's Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historical Interest as a Grade 1 registered Landscape.
2. Westonbirt is managed by the Forestry Commission. Visitor numbers are just under 350,000 per annum with a membership of over 22,000.
3. Westonbirt Arboretum was established in 1829 by wealthy landowner Robert Holford, and later developed by his son, George Holford. Much of Westonbirt's renowned autumn colour is often credited to Sir George's plantings of Japanese maples between 1875 and 1900, many of which are still alive today. Unlike many arboreta, Westonbirt is laid out according to aesthetic appeal rather than scientific or geographical criteria, and the Holfords' legacy is open for all to enjoy - a beautiful, relaxing and unique day out amongst some of the tallest, oldest and rarest trees and shrubs in Britain.
4. Westonbirt is home to the National Maple (Acer) Collection, with over 300 different types in the collection. The Forestry Commission opened Westonbirt Arboretum to the public in 1961, and in 1966 a new Acer Glade was established alongside the original one planted by Robert and George Holford in 1870. Today we are in the process of creating the world’s best collection of maples.
5. Westonbirt Arboretum is three miles south west of Tetbury on the A433 (Tetbury to Bath Road). It is 10 miles north-east of Junction 18 of the M4 and south-east of junction 13 of the M5.
6. The Forestry Commission is the government department responsible in England for protecting, expanding and promoting the sustainable management of woods and forests and increasing their value to society and the environment. Forestry makes a real contribution to sustainable development, providing social and environmental benefits arising from planting and managing attractive, as well as productive, woodlands. Further information can be found at www.forestry.gov.uk
For further information or images please contact Charlotte Hazelby or Alison Jennings on 0117 9441166 or email info@cspr.uk.com
e-mail: kellie.lovett@forestry.gsi.gov.uk |