In case any of you missed it, the link here will take you to the Guardian’s online article, The Age of Extinction. Britain’s Ancient yews, mystical, magical and unprotected.
The same article somewhat condensed, also appeared in the Sunday Observer yesterday.
While those like Alex Glanville of the Church in Wales and the Ancient Yew Group, are doing admirable work towards protecting our ancient yews, what is needed is unequivocal, hardline legislation similar to that in other parts of Europe that puts the largest collection of ancient yews on Earth, those of Britain, the oldest living trees, at the centre of things we care about and guard, like the crown jewels.
As Tree Hunter, Rob McBride of Treespect, who contacted his old friend and journalist Patrick Barkham, to write this article said, ‘If I take a chisel to a church, it would be a crime. So how can people cut bits off ancient yews?’ These trees can be 10 times the age of the Grade 1 listed church building next to them and it says a lot about our values, that they are not considered anywhere near as important, not even given a mention.
As our barrister, Paul Powlesland, says ‘It’s an anomaly in our law that we haven’t grappled properly with the idea of protecting living things. A Tree Protection Order is often too little, too late’, (often only granted when a tree is under threat).
We are at a point in our history where half of trees unique to Europe face extinction, from pests, diseases, pollution and urban development. We talk about reforestation but need to be careful what species we plant. Yews which increase bird life in woodland, are not suffering from problems which would bring about the demise of the species. Ancient yews need protection from us, from our ignorance, disregard and from the possibility of the Church (also in demise and facing the possibility of extinction in Britain), selling off land which is home to one of these special trees, leaving it unprotected from future development. They must be protected to the point that they are actively cared for, nourished and cherished by our communities. In a word, ‘celebrated’. We have to urgently turn our values around, if we are not to look our own extinction directly in the face. How can it be that buildings and things are valued more than the Tree of Life?
Please keep signing and sharing the petition.
Photo: courtesy Rob McBride, shows Patrick Barkham at Kenley Churchyard