A project to use shoots and seeds from a 'very special tree' that was felled during Storm Arwen to help reforest an area of Northumberland is underway.
Staff and volunteers from the Kielderhead Wildwood project found that an 'iconic' lone pine at Scaup Burn was uprooted by gale force winds last November, with the 110-year-old tree left lying on its side.
However, the fallen tree is set to leave a legacy, with young shoots from the branches of the fallen tree, as well as the six still standing, will be grafted onto a new batch of saplings for planting at a later date.
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There is a possibility that the trees on the Carry Burn are the only remnants in England of post-glacial pinewoods, with the collection also believed to be the only truly native Scots Pine in England.
These trees were once widespread across the British Isles, but are now restricted to the Scottish Highlands.
Northumberland Wildlife Trust says that as conservationists, the loss of the pine has been devastating. The charity also says that restoration will be a very costly project, but it needs to be carried out to create the next generation of such an iconic tree.
Speaking about the project, Natasha Hemsley says: “We were all so upset that the tree has fallen.
"The whole reason for the project was to prevent the loss of the pines and conserve the DNA from the last population of such an iconic tree. But, by grafting and re-planting, the legacy of the pines is set to live on, so please help us if you can.”
The five year Kielderhead Wildwood project is managed by Northumberland Wildlife Trust and Forestry England and is funded by a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
You can find more information at the Northumberland Wildlife Trust website.
