Nature Features

The North and South Shropshire Countryside Services (SCS) are keen to get people involved and would like to hear about the veteran trees in your area. A survey of Britain's trees is only possible with the help of volunteers.

Sycamore, Shawbury (photo Linda Johnson)

So how do you know if a tree is a veteran? Loosely speaking any tree over 140 years old qualifies. You can normally spot a tree of this age if it has a girth of more than three metres at chest height, but sometimes a much slimmer tree can be very old. It all depends on the growing conditions and the tree species.

First of all identify the location of the tree (a grid reference is ideal), SCS would also like to know its girth. To discover this use a tape measure (or a piece of string and measure it on a ruler afterwards) and pass it around the trunk at a height of about 1.3 metres. Note down what condition the tree is in too. Is it healthy or are there scars and rotten sections?

Be careful about where you go tree hunting. Make sure you don't wander on to private property without the owner's permission, and take care around the tree. Veteran trees are often fragile and need looking after.

Finally, ask someone to take a picture of yourself with your veteran tree and send it in to us along with any stories or interesting facts about the tree you have found. If you are feeling creative make a sketch or paint a picture. We will put the best ones in an online photo gallery and pass them on to Shropshire Countryside Services.

To find out more about the project contact Shaun Burkey at the North Shropshire Countryside Service on 01691 624448.