Did you know that the Anglo Saxons had 471 different words for trees and woods?
Or that the 1068 Domesday survey revealed that 15% of England was wooded (today it’s just 14% in the whole of the UK)?
These two facts were shared by the Woodland Trust’s Matt Larsen-Daw at the recent Charter Champion day in Sheffield. The Woodland Trust is at the start of an important mission; to create a ‘Charter for Trees, Woods and People’ and is appealing for the general public to get involved. Rob joined others who are all eager to give due consideration to the future of trees and woodlands in the UK.
We are really happy to be Charter Champions. We’ll be taking part through The Long View with our public walks and other events later this year. Our website is also a space for you to share your thoughts and stories about trees (take a look on our page Your Trees. Anyone can become a champion but if you’re interested it’s best to get involved soon so you can make the most of the year: head along to the Charter website to find out more.
The charter will be launched next year to coincide with the 800th anniversary of the original ‘Charter of the Forest’ signed by King Henry III at Runnymede. The Woodland Trust and many other organisations who have joined the Charter campaign feel that now is the right time to take action, to discover through a year of public engagement why trees matter to so many people, and to get the message across.
2016 is going to be a busy year when it comes to trees: tree stories, events at trees, planting and more. We’re looking forward to brain-storming this weekend with a group of creatives and tree specialists in a woodland in Stratford-on-Avon, brought together by the Woodland Trust. We will share our plans as they emerge.
The Charter Website: https://treecharter.uk/
THE LONG VIEW 