Becoming a member here on TH-cam is one of the best ways to support Leave Curious at the moment! I'm working on some fun content to share there more regularly, just for members! Cheers! th-cam.com/channels/MrYUtfJiZHN3iJKqrd8UhQ.htmljoin
in your head you can create an old england, filled with nothing but bird song, and the wisps of wind curling their way through the trees. I'd love to get lost in a place like this
I know this forest or one exactly like it, shame he didn't visit it when the blue bells are out, they cover the forest floor like a carpet. I hate to spoil the 'old England' vibe but it's in Scotland ( or one exactly like it). There's one section that was planted around the time of Mary Queen of Scot's
Living in Australia, it is easy to forget how lucky we are to still have many ancient places. There are at least three 300 year old trees on my property alone. So many were lost to forestry and clearing for agriculture, but many still remain. They are beautiful but also so important for biodiversity and ensuring genetic diversity.
Same thing here in New Zealand. It’s a bloody shame that large scale deforestation is still ongoing in Australia though, you Aussies gotta get your shit together before it’s all lost.
As someone who struggles to calm my brain and relax, I needed to find new ways of switching my head off. I don't always have the time to go out to the woods which has always helped me. So watching channels like yours really helps bring peace. Just want you to know that I really appreciate what you do not just for nature but those of us who don't have brains capable of switching off.
I live in SW Scotland, and very fortunate to live near some ancient Oaks - and the generous supply of edible mushrooms they produce. I've not seen this condition they're suffering from elsewhere in the country, but we have lost too many from storms and riverbank collapse during more frequent flooding.
Trees are meant to grow in communities of interlocked roots and branches which help shield them from winds and slips. Too many have been left as specimen trees thanks to the earlier fashion of clearing out forests leaving only the larger trees and allowing huge lawns to replace the original forest floor.
Something similar is in Slovakia and it’s called Gavurky. It’s really amazing place with huge energy of this relicts of time. I totally love this type of old forest.
Most of my family left England for the American colonies very early on. Some were literally on the Mayflower. In the early 80s I was stationed at RAF Chicksands. I always thought it was interesting that some of the trees I saw in the UK could have been seen by my forefathers. Amazing trees indeed.
I personally love oak trees. Unfortunately, we don't have many of them in Finland, although according to researchers, they increased throughout the country during the transatlantic warming period. During the Swedish rule, they were declared "king's trees" and during the Great Northern War, the Russian occupiers destroyed them greatly. That's why I've planted oaks on my mother's plot, which has been in my family's possession since 1870. Likewise, with my father-in-law's permission, I've planted them on his cottage plot. This autumn I collected acorns from the parks and went to plant them with my own permission in suitable places in the forests of my hometown. I myself will never see them even in middle aged, but the thought of even one small acorn or seedling becoming the giant seen in the video makes me happy.
Great stuff. The importance of deadwood cannot be understated, really important that people understand how important deadwood is for wildlife - whether it’s still standing or slowly breaking down in the woodland soil. I forget how lucky we are in Scotland with the right to roam, hellish that you couldn’t simply leap the fence and explore further!
It's lousy below the border for that, and incredibly sad. Although... the population is also far higher, so if we had littering idiots going everywhere they wanted, it would probably cause damage on a massive scale so there may be something to it!
@@Truth-And-Freedom I know you think that’s cool and free and all but that’s not a good idea man. Most fences are there for a reason, whether you agree with it or not. Hopping fences can be dangerous.
Yeah, we've lost a lot, but we've also kept more ancient trees than comparable European countries. We have also managed to keep areas of ancient non-treed habitats such as chalk grassland and heathland (both plagioclimaxes evolving from neolithic agricultural clearances) and peat bogs, ditto and important in carbon sequestration. Plant trees on these habitats and you lose them and, with peat bogs, you wind up releasing sequestered carbon. Plant trees, but be aware that it's not a panacea. And manage them after planting......
Another great video. Mossy Earth is great for its breadth and depth of projects in many varied areas, but as someone in the UK its great to see content highlighting the wonders on our doorstep
Theres something so magical about the cinemaphotography in this video, the big trees towering over you in every direction kinda makes you feel like a kid again.
Those trees are stunning! I have been researching old-growth forests in the eastern US. We only have 1% of our original forests left east of the Mississippi River. It's sad and it needs to be discussed more often. We are losing biodiversity when we eliminate these ancient forests. Thanks for sharing this story!
Please make a video on your beginnings! Will definitely inspire many passionate conservationists for the future! Your work is truly astounding thank you so much for providing us with such awe inspiring videos! Been a proud member of mossy earth for jus abiut over a year now, I encourage anyone with a spare fiver a month to sign up and join the cause. 😊
Nice. Thought I knew this site when the video first started, but quickly realised I didn't. Pretty clear it's ancient pasture woodland though. Glad you mentioned the oaks are pollards. Might be nice to mention that pollarding was done because of the overwhelming need for usable timber coupled with an overwhelming pressure for grazing. Coppice is easier for production of anything but saw logs (not forgetting standard trees in coppice), but you have to exclude stock. If you pollard, you can have your coppice 'on a stick' - sprouting above the height that cattle can reach (or deer). But pollards used to be known as 'widowmakers'. Think of getting up in the crown with a hand saw and maybe a single rope, even if the stems you are cutting are much smaller than the long-derelict ones you see in your excellent video. No harnesses, no mupe. Now try it with an axe. Overwhelming pressure.... Pollards can be of several species. Oak are most common, but poplar, crack willow, hornbeam, beech and ash can all be found. All those timbers had their place. They are a product of the high population density of the British Isles and England especially. Overwhelming pressure. Why have they survived? Various reasons. Difficulty in harvesting (widow makers). Easier/safer now, but very expensive and re-cutting oaks like those is probably going to be sectional fells leaving no usable timber. No high quality timber in the bollings (main trunks). They are hollow, rotten and gnarly. Tied into former 'prestige' landscapes so didn't get 'the chop' in WW1 or WW2. Not all pollards are tied to former hunting forests, not by any means. Some are in old farm hedges, so present scattered in small numbers. Where those hedges were also boundaries (like a Parish boundary) they were more likely to have been kept as a boundary marker. This vid is an ash (3 actually) in Somerset. Boot it off if you think my commenting a link is a liberty. th-cam.com/video/FOXRiyAILQM/w-d-xo.html Some are found in farmed fields or horse paddocks where they are crib-bitten. There's a vid on the channel showing both and what it means for their continued existence. Some are on grazed commons (several sites around London). Then there are stob-cuts in ancient hedges and assarts in woodland. Many of these hold similar value to pollards, they approach pollards of the same species in terms of age (if not in size) and many have no protection whatsoever or are even mapped. There is a very big question that arises: We have a huge wealth of biodiversity associated with ancient trees, with pollards featuring very strongly. Pollarding can induce ancient tree characteristics (the knots and rots and hollows) in a tree much quicker and in more variety and with more long-term structural stability and niche continuity than they arise in maiden trees. These characteristics are the niches that many rare species require and which are almost completely absent in (say) recent plantations or secondary woodland. But many of our pollards have not bee re-cut for many generations. So here is the question: How do we provide for continuity of these niches (and those species) when pollards are neither being managed nor replaced?
Those trees need management if they are to survive for much longer: comparing to southern Iberia, with old Holm and Cork Oaks, they have been breaking large branches/forks regularly, specially after droughts and windstorms. These result in open trunks or a completely broken trunk below the 'Pollard' level.
@@lobster5782 True. Resources? Even crown relief (reducing shading by felling younger, taller, older surrounding trees that are killing old pollards) is expensive.
Another factor is surely the following: These trees would have been mature specimens when the sail fleet of the British Navy was at its peak Had they not been pollarded, they could have produced large enough timbers to be used for ships of the line and so would have been much less likely to survive
@@Coherers True. But they (of course) wouldn't have been first pollarded as mature trees. Would have been first cut at 'waiver' size 'cos lopping the top out of an already-mature tree would have been dangerous and likely too much of a shock to the maiden tree.
@@LeaveCurious I believe that all living things have souls, including plants, and a tree that old, while still not a conscious being, would have a deep and complex soul.
Beautiful content on your channel! I am lucky to live in the Lake District and we have some amazing trees and the wildlife they support such as our beloved red squirrel. I find it mind blowing how forestry commission was ever allowed here or invasive species for that matter. I work in early years and I bring my love for nature into my classroom on a daily basis. The children love sowing and growing, making bird feeds and bug shelters, tree and plant identification. .. the learning is endless! Can't wait to show them clips of this video about giant , ancient and magnificent trees! " Now is the time. If we don't embrace nature in our children's hearts. We will lose it" Steve Irwin
I wish our govt, in the US, actually wanted to protect large swaths of the 1% of the prairies, and at least 15-20% of the forests and such places still we have left. Not just for environmental reasons but for legacy of nature.
There's something special and magical about ancient trees. We have some left in the US but not as much as we should. I'm growing a sapling from the elder tree (100 year old or more white oak) of my last home. Had to sell but I'll be planting the sapling when it gets bigger at our new home.
Simply stunning footage and great commentary. As an arboriculturist myself, I really think you put this across so well! Well done, Sharon from Tree Lady Talks
Becoming a member just supports the channel and enables me to keep making videos… hopefully one day in Canada! But either way, I’m hugely grateful for the encouragement, thank you!
In southern Maine years ago I came across an ancient oak, almost completely hollowed out like the one at the start of this vid. It was easily 8’ in diameter. There was one section of live bark maybe 10” wide running up the side and terminating in a single live branch.
There is a stob-cut (like a short pollard) oak in a scrubbed-up road verge (actually a strip of common land) in a place called Malden Rushett in Greater London. This tree has regenerated from a strip like this and has almost re-formed a circular trunk. The wreckage of it's former body lies all around. Thousands drive past it every day and never see it (and others like it).
Those trees are beautiful. And indeed here in the Netherlands we do not have many ancient trees, if any at all. I would love to hear more about your background. You are a natural born teacher. I love to listen to you and to learn from you. Your passion for the preservation and restoration from nature is contagious for all the right reasons. 👍
@@damionkeeling3103 Well, I think that here in the Netherlands it is a bit more complicated than that. Large parts of the Netherlands used to be a swamp, or to be more exact a river delta that would be influenced by the tidal wave action from the sea before humans made dikes and all sorts of barriers to keep the sea out. But It had many swampy areas and river tributaries. So I am not sure if those conditions were the best conditions for oak trees to grow old to begin with, or to grow at all for that matter. I do know that every centimeter from our land has been touched and modified by humans. And that over centuries of time the rivers have been tamed with dikes and other barriers and that all the swampy areas have been pumped dry and most of it became agricultural land or cities or an industrial zone. So we do not have any ancient forests to begin with, the forests that we have, have been planted by humans at some point in time. And I suppose that the trees were used for commercial purposes such as building ships. I can also imagine that they bought wood from other countries, such as Germany and the Scandinavian countries. But I am not sure if that were indeed the case. We are also one of the most dense populated countries in the world. Both with humans and cattle and pigs and goats. 60% of the land is agricultural land, 18% of the surface area is water, and what is left over must be shared by all the people and the companies and the wildlife animal species that are not extinct yet. On top of that we had the war with big bombardments and battles, and during that time we also had the hunger winter where people were starving to death, most dominantly the smaller farmers but also people in the cities who had no money, and they had to warm themselves with wood or coal or oil stoves, depending on what was the most accessible and cheapest fuel for their situation. Many trees did not survive that time. And preservation of nature and natural ecosystems did not exist either at that time. So it is easy to see why ancient forests do not exist in the Netherlands and why ancient trees are rare or of none existence in the Netherlands. I live near a forest where the planting of trees was started many hundreds of years ago, and that lasted over centuries of time in an attempt by multiple generations of people to prevent the desertification from their local area of land that was caused by over grazing from the land. It swallowed and buried a small village and and a local homestead with big sand dunes. And over centuries of time people were desperate to stop the desertification by planting trees. And it worked. However, the still moving sand dunes that it created are still there. It even has its own very own local desert type of micro climate. With relative cold night during hot summer nights. But those trees have also been selectively used for commercial purposes. Most of the trees in that small forest that are alive today are not that old. And most trees are pine trees. But I am not a historical expert by any means. The things that I mentioned are just some general things that I have picked up and learned over time out of personal interest. And I could be very wrong with my conclusions.
To @insAneTunA Though no-one could claim that it is natural, the Netherlands has one of the most beautiful landscapes anywhere. People are ofttimes surprised when I tell them that after Switzerland, I think that the Netherlands is one of the loveliest countries in Europe in terms of the countryside.
@@RCSVirginia I could not disagree more with you. It is green and very well organized, and not a single inch of land has been untouched, but the Netherlands was a disaster for the wildlife that used to live here before we started applying all the destructive farming practices and changing the landscape and destroying the habitat for wildlife. It is flat and boring, and once you have seen one polder, you have seen them all. (A polder is how we call all the combined pasture land that is surrounding the villages and cities and each region has their own polders, and in total the polders make up about 60% of the total land surface from the Netherlands) We do not have a single mountain or valley, and compared to Switzerland the Netherlands is as flat as a pancake. We don't have bedrock either. Only a small portion of the land has some sandstone. So how you can make the comparison between Switzerland and the Netherlands is a complete mystery to me. At the end of the day beauty is in the eye of the beholder. One can consider the Dutch landscape as beautiful, but once you know more about it, and when you understand how biodivers the plants and animals used to be, and how much we humans have destroyed over the most recent past centuries, it becomes increasingly difficult to call it beautiful. I do not blame or shame you, because if I did not know any better, I probably would call it nice too. But now that I have learned more about it I see a lot of pure destruction for greed when I look at our countryside.
Enjoyed this video - thanks. I also found Judi Dench’s 2017 video “My Passion for Trees” quite fascinating too. I have always loved trees (all types, all sizes), especially as a child. I often talk to them and run my hand across the trunks of large ones to see if I can pick up any thoughts or bits of sentiments….. it’s rarely a two way street but on the odd occasion it is, it’s magical!!
I love trees, they are individual natural sculptures, I used to live, close to Sherwood Forest, and Clumber park Nottinghamshire. and the major oak, featured in the Robin Hood legend. Acorn coffee isn't bad. I loved Elm trees too.
Thank you so much for taking us to this magical forest! I hadn't considered William the Conqueror as an environmentalist lol, but that's quite the silver lining to a thousand year old invasion lol. Sadly the English came to America and continued the practice of land clearing and deforestation. I know of only a handful of old growth forests here in Massachusetts, and a few sacred ancient tree survivors.
Were there many younger trees there - as in: is the forest regenerating or is it all ancient growth? Was difficult to spot saplings and it would be a terrible shame if that forest was essentially just a retirement home even though it's an amazing habitat.
@@31Blaize I was wondering exactly the same thing about regeneration as it looked more like an old folks home, but then I saw what looks like a youngster at 4:41 on the left near its mum.
The fenced areas are too keep the cows in not to keeps people out btw. Some areas have conservation grazing with english longhorns at some times of year.@@LeaveCurious
That's a key question. Typically oaks will not successfully regenerate under a canopy of oaks - they need a gap. Gaps can arise if a pollard collapses. Providing for replacement trees in a system which runs on a 'cycle' of many hundreds of years is fraught with difficulties when 'a week is a long time in politics', budgets are cast yearly (often in arrears) and if a management plan for a site is cast and funded for 5 years, that's unusually long.
In Wiesbaden , Germany , where l used to live , there are a few , many- hundred- year old oak trees . The one l knew for daily dog- walks into the Taunus Mountains from Nerotal Park , was even a landmark in a battle in the Middle Ages . Up on that hill next to it , one could see for miles around . Once , while admiring the oak , l noticed a small hole in the bark on the bottom of it , and then saw a mouse coming out from it , a young woodland resident in that lone old tree . ( nowadays German forests are " working " forests , a " Kulturwald " , with for timber grown trees on managed public land , as opposed to a " Naturwald " = a wild , more natural forest , but open for everyone to enjoy for walks and pleasure ) Another old oak l encountered on a busy road , with the sidewalk asphalt right around it , which looked very inappropriate to me , but the city seems to have grown around it . These very old and magnificent trees are marked on regular maps in fields , woods , just like the ancient burial mounds . Thanks for your interesting video !
I grew up in Sonoma county California which is home to the largest remaining Oak forests on earth. Some of them are a thousand years old and are protected by law. My home county was also one of Ansel Adams favorite places to photograph because of the ancient Oak forests. I live in Astoria Oregon now about 800 miles north in the land of ancient Douglas Fir forests, but I always miss my old Oak trees of my home state and county. 🌳
Wonderful looks like the oak forest around the shores and on the Islands of lake Mälaren that begins at Stockholm and goes inland. There are many very old ones. The oaks of Sweden was also protected by the king, and oak forest used to cover much of Southern Sweden historically. During the bronze age when it was warmer the oak forests stretched much more far north beyond todays limits around the River Dalaälven. Further north the spring comes to late for them to bloom properly but there are planted oaks.
In Mexico City in the Chapultepec Park there is an avenue of humongous old oaks that were planted by the last Aztec ruler before the Spaniards conquered them. They are still alive and the roots are massive. Beautiful trees. In the town of Tule which is somewhere south of Mexico City (i think). There is a very old and very big tree. It is not an oak. I dont know what it is. While not really tall (like a Sequoia) it is really big around the trunk. Tremendous. And near it is a beautiful fountain decorated with a mosaic of broken porcelain plates. The plates were used as ballast in the ships coming from the orient. The plates were cheap over in asia and saleable in any port in America or Europe. But there was some breakage. And the pieces tiled every surface on the fountain. It was fascinating to see all the designs.
This is an inspirational video! I do notice that you seem to avoid saying where it is and for someone like me who would absolutely delight in photographing these trees it is very frustrating. Nearly ten years ago now I visited Bradgate Park in Leicestershire having been similarly inspired by photos taken by a local guy and shared on the internet. This was a wonderful place for oaks. I live in South Manchester and, although my native Cheshire is known for its oaks, there are no ancient woodlands to the best of my knowledge, that stand compare with wherever you were. I only learnt of the existence of Staverton Park in Suffolk by reading your viewers comments. If I've got to do a long drive to reach such a woodland I need to know where to go.
He doesn't give away the location of endangered species in order to protect them. Some idiot would absolutely try to destroy the area for their version of fun.
Lots of Oaks were planted to grow wood for the British Navy over the centuries as well. Wasn't sure about the tash but it grew on me lol. Looks great but isn't it a bit monocultural? Interested whether it's got diversity of wildlife anywhere approaching Knepp? Although I guess it needs a complicated eco survey to establish that, but any rough idea? Thanks again for super views with your great commentary. 🤩😀
I live in SW France not far from the Pyrenees and there is lots of woodland. But there are very old trees so that whole section of plants, animals and fungi that live on old trees is missing. On the face of it with so much woodland it seems great, but it’s not as healthy as it could be. Thanks for sharing this video.
@@helenswan705 there are very few old trees. A friend has a picture of a nearby hill (nearly 800m so not small) completely stripped in the early 1900s. The woodland has been growing since then but that makes the oldest trees only 100 years. The people responsible seem to carry out rotational clear cutting. So no trees older than about 100 years. That’s my observations.
If you'd map out all the tree diseases and the time when they suddenly increased, I think you'l see a massive, massive increase in many tree diseases and even the rise of new tree diseases over the last 20 or 30 years. Some will blame 4G and 5G, some will mention the fallout from chemtrails, others blame modern agriculture or chemicals in the environment by other human factors. The diseases are all different but I suspect there is a common underlying stressfactor at play here. Perhaps this same factor or combination of factors are also what causes the fall in insect life. Would love to hear your thoughts and findings on this. Greetings from the Netherlands, love your work
Thank you for making me soooo & €&) & & % jealous - love this. We Dutch seriously lack ancient trees or, as happened about 15 years ago in the village we were then living in, they cut down yews that were planted when the school was built around the 1550's, just to clear out maybe two parking spaces. The wife and me were in mourning for a couple of weeks
Gteetings from Auckland New Zealand 🇳🇿 We have lots of Oak trees here, in Auckland and throughout NZ . Mostly introduced and planted in town centres and farms by early Settlers. They mostly go very well. Not many are ever pollarded. The oldest Oaks here would only be about 250 uears old. They are respected and loved
@@LeaveCurious So pleased you've been to NZ. Do come again when you're able. In the North Island, we have huge Pohutukawa trees, many are ancient and date to pre-European times. The oldest is estimated at nearly 800 - 1,000 years. It's called "Tane Mahuta" and is on the Western North coast of the North Island. Magnifincent.
@@LeaveCurious Oaks grow faster here so I guess the wood wont be as strong but they look amazing. Bright green in spring then nice dark green over summer and providing shade. They seem to produce a ton of seedlings, is that the case in the UK too?
Oops! Yes you are quite right, thank you. I was online waay too late at night and lost my concentration. Also lost in admiration for huge, ancient, trees ! xx@@damionkeeling3103
Becoming a member here on TH-cam is one of the best ways to support Leave Curious at the moment! I'm working on some fun content to share there more regularly, just for members! Cheers! th-cam.com/channels/MrYUtfJiZHN3iJKqrd8UhQ.htmljoin
You need a lapel Mic mate.
Your Audio is really low and buzzy in places...
The visuals are spectacular 👍
yeah something happened with the audio in this one@@edwardfletcher7790
Acute Oak decline = old age.
@@LeaveCurious Boya do excellent $10 4 conductor lapel mics that work with any old phone with a headphone jack 👍
in your head you can create an old england, filled with nothing but bird song, and the wisps of wind curling their way through the trees. I'd love to get lost in a place like this
What a wonderful description. It felt like it there 🙂
@@LeaveCurious where is it, by the way? i don't think you mention in the video
I do. In my imagination I can see, hear and smell it all and I've never been to England.
I know this forest or one exactly like it, shame he didn't visit it when the blue bells are out, they cover the forest floor like a carpet. I hate to spoil the 'old England' vibe but it's in Scotland ( or one exactly like it). There's one section that was planted around the time of Mary Queen of Scot's
Huge ancient oaks and other trees everywhere!
Would be so beautiful!
Living in Australia, it is easy to forget how lucky we are to still have many ancient places. There are at least three 300 year old trees on my property alone. So many were lost to forestry and clearing for agriculture, but many still remain. They are beautiful but also so important for biodiversity and ensuring genetic diversity.
don't forget about the Woolemi pine
In eastern usa, it was all clear cut at one time or another. The woods are still beautiful, but so different without the big old trees
Same thing here in New Zealand. It’s a bloody shame that large scale deforestation is still ongoing in Australia though, you Aussies gotta get your shit together before it’s all lost.
Aussies should listen to this guy, don't cut it all down before you regret it!
We are very lucky here in Britain too
The more people you show these habitats to, the more people will support the needed conservation. Thank you.
For those wondering...Staverton Thicks, Suffolk's best kept secret
As someone who struggles to calm my brain and relax, I needed to find new ways of switching my head off. I don't always have the time to go out to the woods which has always helped me. So watching channels like yours really helps bring peace. Just want you to know that I really appreciate what you do not just for nature but those of us who don't have brains capable of switching off.
I live in SW Scotland, and very fortunate to live near some ancient Oaks - and the generous supply of edible mushrooms they produce. I've not seen this condition they're suffering from elsewhere in the country, but we have lost too many from storms and riverbank collapse during more frequent flooding.
Old trees die. You should be happy as more resilient vegetation takes its place.
Trees are meant to grow in communities of interlocked roots and branches which help shield them from winds and slips. Too many have been left as specimen trees thanks to the earlier fashion of clearing out forests leaving only the larger trees and allowing huge lawns to replace the original forest floor.
Something similar is in Slovakia and it’s called Gavurky. It’s really amazing place with huge energy of this relicts of time.
I totally love this type of old forest.
Most of my family left England for the American colonies very early on. Some were literally on the Mayflower.
In the early 80s I was stationed at RAF Chicksands. I always thought it was interesting that some of the trees I saw in the UK could have been seen by my forefathers.
Amazing trees indeed.
I personally love oak trees. Unfortunately, we don't have many of them in Finland, although according to researchers, they increased throughout the country during the transatlantic warming period. During the Swedish rule, they were declared "king's trees" and during the Great Northern War, the Russian occupiers destroyed them greatly.
That's why I've planted oaks on my mother's plot, which has been in my family's possession since 1870. Likewise, with my father-in-law's permission, I've planted them on his cottage plot. This autumn I collected acorns from the parks and went to plant them with my own permission in suitable places in the forests of my hometown. I myself will never see them even in middle aged, but the thought of even one small acorn or seedling becoming the giant seen in the video makes me happy.
Very nice project ! But, I assure you that in 15 years, they’l have a pretty good shape.
Great stuff. The importance of deadwood cannot be understated, really important that people understand how important deadwood is for wildlife - whether it’s still standing or slowly breaking down in the woodland soil.
I forget how lucky we are in Scotland with the right to roam, hellish that you couldn’t simply leap the fence and explore further!
It's lousy below the border for that, and incredibly sad. Although... the population is also far higher, so if we had littering idiots going everywhere they wanted, it would probably cause damage on a massive scale so there may be something to it!
Most English just walk where they like anyway.
I've never let a fence stop me :)
@@Truth-And-Freedom I know you think that’s cool and free and all but that’s not a good idea man. Most fences are there for a reason, whether you agree with it or not. Hopping fences can be dangerous.
@@connorbutler5900 I care not for danger ......and the fun I've had jumping fences - well worth it.
All 44 years of it so far worth ever second
👍
staying in or outside the fence can also be dangerous. predators on both sides.
Wow, such beautiful old trees, just a shame we lost so many. Heres to a hope we plant more native trees.
Yeah we’ve lost a lot of course, but it’s lovely having spaces like these and many ancient trees in Britain.
Yeah, we've lost a lot, but we've also kept more ancient trees than comparable European countries. We have also managed to keep areas of ancient non-treed habitats such as chalk grassland and heathland (both plagioclimaxes evolving from neolithic agricultural clearances) and peat bogs, ditto and important in carbon sequestration. Plant trees on these habitats and you lose them and, with peat bogs, you wind up releasing sequestered carbon. Plant trees, but be aware that it's not a panacea. And manage them after planting......
Thanks so much for the vlog. The ancient oaks look staggering, so impressive. Really enjoy your work and I hope you go from strength to strength.
They immense and thank you, I appreciate this!
This forest is really Brilliant. I adore this forest 🌳!
Another great video. Mossy Earth is great for its breadth and depth of projects in many varied areas, but as someone in the UK its great to see content highlighting the wonders on our doorstep
Theres something so magical about the cinemaphotography in this video, the big trees towering over you in every direction kinda makes you feel like a kid again.
Those trees are stunning! I have been researching old-growth forests in the eastern US. We only have 1% of our original forests left east of the Mississippi River. It's sad and it needs to be discussed more often. We are losing biodiversity when we eliminate these ancient forests. Thanks for sharing this story!
Why did your place have lost so many trees?
Please make a video on your beginnings! Will definitely inspire many passionate conservationists for the future! Your work is truly astounding thank you so much for providing us with such awe inspiring videos! Been a proud member of mossy earth for jus abiut over a year now, I encourage anyone with a spare fiver a month to sign up and join the cause. 😊
Nice. Thought I knew this site when the video first started, but quickly realised I didn't. Pretty clear it's ancient pasture woodland though. Glad you mentioned the oaks are pollards. Might be nice to mention that pollarding was done because of the overwhelming need for usable timber coupled with an overwhelming pressure for grazing. Coppice is easier for production of anything but saw logs (not forgetting standard trees in coppice), but you have to exclude stock. If you pollard, you can have your coppice 'on a stick' - sprouting above the height that cattle can reach (or deer).
But pollards used to be known as 'widowmakers'. Think of getting up in the crown with a hand saw and maybe a single rope, even if the stems you are cutting are much smaller than the long-derelict ones you see in your excellent video. No harnesses, no mupe. Now try it with an axe. Overwhelming pressure....
Pollards can be of several species. Oak are most common, but poplar, crack willow, hornbeam, beech and ash can all be found. All those timbers had their place. They are a product of the high population density of the British Isles and England especially. Overwhelming pressure.
Why have they survived? Various reasons. Difficulty in harvesting (widow makers). Easier/safer now, but very expensive and re-cutting oaks like those is probably going to be sectional fells leaving no usable timber. No high quality timber in the bollings (main trunks). They are hollow, rotten and gnarly. Tied into former 'prestige' landscapes so didn't get 'the chop' in WW1 or WW2. Not all pollards are tied to former hunting forests, not by any means. Some are in old farm hedges, so present scattered in small numbers. Where those hedges were also boundaries (like a Parish boundary) they were more likely to have been kept as a boundary marker. This vid is an ash (3 actually) in Somerset. Boot it off if you think my commenting a link is a liberty. th-cam.com/video/FOXRiyAILQM/w-d-xo.html Some are found in farmed fields or horse paddocks where they are crib-bitten. There's a vid on the channel showing both and what it means for their continued existence. Some are on grazed commons (several sites around London).
Then there are stob-cuts in ancient hedges and assarts in woodland. Many of these hold similar value to pollards, they approach pollards of the same species in terms of age (if not in size) and many have no protection whatsoever or are even mapped.
There is a very big question that arises: We have a huge wealth of biodiversity associated with ancient trees, with pollards featuring very strongly. Pollarding can induce ancient tree characteristics (the knots and rots and hollows) in a tree much quicker and in more variety and with more long-term structural stability and niche continuity than they arise in maiden trees. These characteristics are the niches that many rare species require and which are almost completely absent in (say) recent plantations or secondary woodland. But many of our pollards have not bee re-cut for many generations. So here is the question: How do we provide for continuity of these niches (and those species) when pollards are neither being managed nor replaced?
Those trees need management if they are to survive for much longer: comparing to southern Iberia, with old Holm and Cork Oaks, they have been breaking large branches/forks regularly, specially after droughts and windstorms. These result in open trunks or a completely broken trunk below the 'Pollard' level.
@@lobster5782 True. Resources? Even crown relief (reducing shading by felling younger, taller, older surrounding trees that are killing old pollards) is expensive.
Another factor is surely the following: These trees would have been mature specimens when the sail fleet of the British Navy was at its peak Had they not been pollarded, they could have produced large enough timbers to be used for ships of the line and so would have been much less likely to survive
@@Coherers True. But they (of course) wouldn't have been first pollarded as mature trees. Would have been first cut at 'waiver' size 'cos lopping the top out of an already-mature tree would have been dangerous and likely too much of a shock to the maiden tree.
Thats a very good question. Is pollarding a practice which no longer persists, at scale, anywhere in the UK?
Yet another great video! 😀 I always feel oddly amazing when I’m around ancient trees like that.
You really do feel great. There’s something about them.
@@LeaveCurious I believe that all living things have souls, including plants, and a tree that old, while still not a conscious being, would have a deep and complex soul.
Beautiful content on your channel!
I am lucky to live in the Lake District and we have some amazing trees and the wildlife they support such as our beloved red squirrel. I find it mind blowing how forestry commission was ever allowed here or invasive species for that matter. I work in early years and I bring my love for nature into my classroom on a daily basis. The children love sowing and growing, making bird feeds and bug shelters, tree and plant identification. .. the learning is endless! Can't wait to show them clips of this video about giant , ancient and magnificent trees!
" Now is the time. If we don't embrace nature in our children's hearts. We will lose it" Steve Irwin
That's brilliant keep it up
Amazing! I hope they enjoy it and keep up the good work.
Was it larch that was widely planted?
I'd love to hear more about your work with old trees!
Im watching everyone of your vids, your growing so fast thanks to this mossy earth partnership
You keep going. Tell people about these habitats. I support your work absolutely.
this guy is so cute,,love his enthusiasm and love of the trees
What an amazing place! Brilliant presenting as usual, Rob.
It was very special, thanks ☺️
At the end of the ice age, all of the UK looked like this. So glad they have been preserved.
This forest of ancient oaks are testament to their longevity…thankyou for taking us there.. 🌳
I love Oaks! Usually I gather acorns grow them and give away oak saplings. I've not had much luck finding acorns in my area this year so far.
I wish our govt, in the US, actually wanted to protect large swaths of the 1% of the prairies, and at least 15-20% of the forests and such places still we have left. Not just for environmental reasons but for legacy of nature.
Honourable mention for the ferns! I love a ferny forest. With all those massive oaks that just looked 😍
Never seen so much exited and passionate person talking about trees😂 good job, you love what you do🤝
Awesome trees!!!
There's something special and magical about ancient trees. We have some left in the US but not as much as we should. I'm growing a sapling from the elder tree (100 year old or more white oak) of my last home. Had to sell but I'll be planting the sapling when it gets bigger at our new home.
Simply stunning footage and great commentary. As an arboriculturist myself, I really think you put this across so well! Well done, Sharon from Tree Lady Talks
Yep, rad looking trees.
Just a wonderful event for me. Keep up the good work.
I’m in Canada so I won’t become a member but I want to just say how much I like your videos and respect your work. Keep it up!
Becoming a member just supports the channel and enables me to keep making videos… hopefully one day in Canada! But either way, I’m hugely grateful for the encouragement, thank you!
In southern Maine years ago I came across an ancient oak, almost completely hollowed out like the one at the start of this vid. It was easily 8’ in diameter. There was one section of live bark maybe 10” wide running up the side and terminating in a single live branch.
There is a stob-cut (like a short pollard) oak in a scrubbed-up road verge (actually a strip of common land) in a place called Malden Rushett in Greater London. This tree has regenerated from a strip like this and has almost re-formed a circular trunk. The wreckage of it's former body lies all around. Thousands drive past it every day and never see it (and others like it).
Those trees are beautiful. And indeed here in the Netherlands we do not have many ancient trees, if any at all. I would love to hear more about your background. You are a natural born teacher. I love to listen to you and to learn from you. Your passion for the preservation and restoration from nature is contagious for all the right reasons. 👍
You guys are to efficient. Old trees look "untidy."
@@damionkeeling3103 Well, I think that here in the Netherlands it is a bit more complicated than that.
Large parts of the Netherlands used to be a swamp, or to be more exact a river delta that would be influenced by the tidal wave action from the sea before humans made dikes and all sorts of barriers to keep the sea out. But It had many swampy areas and river tributaries. So I am not sure if those conditions were the best conditions for oak trees to grow old to begin with, or to grow at all for that matter.
I do know that every centimeter from our land has been touched and modified by humans. And that over centuries of time the rivers have been tamed with dikes and other barriers and that all the swampy areas have been pumped dry and most of it became agricultural land or cities or an industrial zone. So we do not have any ancient forests to begin with, the forests that we have, have been planted by humans at some point in time.
And I suppose that the trees were used for commercial purposes such as building ships. I can also imagine that they bought wood from other countries, such as Germany and the Scandinavian countries. But I am not sure if that were indeed the case.
We are also one of the most dense populated countries in the world. Both with humans and cattle and pigs and goats. 60% of the land is agricultural land, 18% of the surface area is water, and what is left over must be shared by all the people and the companies and the wildlife animal species that are not extinct yet.
On top of that we had the war with big bombardments and battles, and during that time we also had the hunger winter where people were starving to death, most dominantly the smaller farmers but also people in the cities who had no money, and they had to warm themselves with wood or coal or oil stoves, depending on what was the most accessible and cheapest fuel for their situation. Many trees did not survive that time. And preservation of nature and natural ecosystems did not exist either at that time. So it is easy to see why ancient forests do not exist in the Netherlands and why ancient trees are rare or of none existence in the Netherlands.
I live near a forest where the planting of trees was started many hundreds of years ago, and that lasted over centuries of time in an attempt by multiple generations of people to prevent the desertification from their local area of land that was caused by over grazing from the land. It swallowed and buried a small village and and a local homestead with big sand dunes. And over centuries of time people were desperate to stop the desertification by planting trees. And it worked. However, the still moving sand dunes that it created are still there. It even has its own very own local desert type of micro climate. With relative cold night during hot summer nights. But those trees have also been selectively used for commercial purposes. Most of the trees in that small forest that are alive today are not that old. And most trees are pine trees.
But I am not a historical expert by any means. The things that I mentioned are just some general things that I have picked up and learned over time out of personal interest. And I could be very wrong with my conclusions.
To @insAneTunA
Though no-one could claim that it is natural, the Netherlands has one of the most beautiful landscapes anywhere. People are ofttimes surprised when I tell them that after Switzerland, I think that the Netherlands is one of the loveliest countries in Europe in terms of the countryside.
@@RCSVirginia I could not disagree more with you. It is green and very well organized, and not a single inch of land has been untouched, but the Netherlands was a disaster for the wildlife that used to live here before we started applying all the destructive farming practices and changing the landscape and destroying the habitat for wildlife.
It is flat and boring, and once you have seen one polder, you have seen them all. (A polder is how we call all the combined pasture land that is surrounding the villages and cities and each region has their own polders, and in total the polders make up about 60% of the total land surface from the Netherlands)
We do not have a single mountain or valley, and compared to Switzerland the Netherlands is as flat as a pancake. We don't have bedrock either. Only a small portion of the land has some sandstone. So how you can make the comparison between Switzerland and the Netherlands is a complete mystery to me.
At the end of the day beauty is in the eye of the beholder. One can consider the Dutch landscape as beautiful, but once you know more about it, and when you understand how biodivers the plants and animals used to be, and how much we humans have destroyed over the most recent past centuries, it becomes increasingly difficult to call it beautiful.
I do not blame or shame you, because if I did not know any better, I probably would call it nice too. But now that I have learned more about it I see a lot of pure destruction for greed when I look at our countryside.
I live in SW Virginia an in my back yard there's two giant Oak trees They are the last to shed their leaves. I love the trees
I love Oaks, they have been my friends since childhood.
Enjoyed this video - thanks. I also found Judi Dench’s 2017 video “My Passion for Trees” quite fascinating too. I have always loved trees (all types, all sizes), especially as a child. I often talk to them and run my hand across the trunks of large ones to see if I can pick up any thoughts or bits of sentiments….. it’s rarely a two way street but on the odd occasion it is, it’s magical!!
I’d definitely love to hear your back story as my son is considering a career in this field.
Nice video and exceptional lovely old trees. I remember my dad said of old oaks, "300 years growing, 300 years living, 300 years dying."
Lovely, we are lucky enough to have some amazing oaks which are about 300 years old on our site :)
I love trees, they are individual natural sculptures, I used to live, close to Sherwood Forest, and Clumber park Nottinghamshire. and the major oak, featured in the Robin Hood legend. Acorn coffee isn't bad. I loved Elm trees too.
Beautiful video and SO important we protect our trees.
Thank you so much for taking us to this magical forest! I hadn't considered William the Conqueror as an environmentalist lol, but that's quite the silver lining to a thousand year old invasion lol. Sadly the English came to America and continued the practice of land clearing and deforestation. I know of only a handful of old growth forests here in Massachusetts, and a few sacred ancient tree survivors.
Thank you for sharing these beautiful places with us!
Oh my goodness this is so beautiful it brings tears of joy to my eyes
Hi I was born in the Ancient Forest of Dean, Glos. Love the Ents!
So beautiful atmospheric forest. Another great video. Love it. Thank you for sharing.
Were there many younger trees there - as in: is the forest regenerating or is it all ancient growth? Was difficult to spot saplings and it would be a terrible shame if that forest was essentially just a retirement home even though it's an amazing habitat.
Could see some young saplings walking around. More in the woodland. Not sure about the fenced area!
@@LeaveCuriousThat's good to hear 😃 May those forests continue for another thousand years!
@@31Blaize I was wondering exactly the same thing about regeneration as it looked more like an old folks home, but then I saw what looks like a youngster at 4:41 on the left near its mum.
The fenced areas are too keep the cows in not to keeps people out btw. Some areas have conservation grazing with english longhorns at some times of year.@@LeaveCurious
That's a key question. Typically oaks will not successfully regenerate under a canopy of oaks - they need a gap. Gaps can arise if a pollard collapses. Providing for replacement trees in a system which runs on a 'cycle' of many hundreds of years is fraught with difficulties when 'a week is a long time in politics', budgets are cast yearly (often in arrears) and if a management plan for a site is cast and funded for 5 years, that's unusually long.
In Oregon (USA) I live near a ton of white oak stands, not as big and ancient as yours, but I also love walking through those beautiful trees!
Where in oregon.?
Oak tree is the King of the trees !
Trees are so amazing..... my son is an arborist.... and has taken us to some very special woodlands .❤
In Wiesbaden , Germany , where l used to live , there are a few , many- hundred- year old oak trees .
The one l knew for daily dog- walks into the Taunus Mountains from Nerotal Park , was even a landmark in a battle in the Middle Ages . Up on that hill next to it , one could see for miles around .
Once , while admiring the oak , l noticed a small hole in the bark on the bottom of it , and then saw a mouse coming out from it , a young woodland resident in that lone old tree . ( nowadays German forests are " working " forests , a " Kulturwald " , with for timber grown trees on managed public land , as opposed to a " Naturwald " = a wild , more natural forest , but open for everyone to enjoy for walks and pleasure )
Another old oak l encountered on a busy road , with the sidewalk asphalt right around it , which looked very inappropriate to me , but the city seems to have grown around it .
These very old and magnificent trees are marked on regular maps in fields , woods , just like the ancient burial mounds .
Thanks for your interesting video !
Thanks for taking us to see these trees and telling how they managed to be spared from being turned into ships and rafters.
Wonderfully explained thank you!
This is REALLY nice and special !
Thanks for the watch & listen - education. Appreciated.
Regards sent from Western Scotland.
Thank you for this video! I have a particular fondness for oaks, magnolias and redwoods, among others.
I grew up in Sonoma county California which is home to the largest remaining Oak forests on earth. Some of them are a thousand years old and are protected by law. My home county was also one of Ansel Adams favorite places to photograph because of the ancient Oak forests. I live in Astoria Oregon now about 800 miles north in the land of ancient Douglas Fir forests, but I always miss my old Oak trees of my home state and county. 🌳
This is one of my favourite episodes so far❤
I love oaks. It was a sacred tree for my ancestors in Northern Portugal. And some people has it for surname. Thanks a lot. 🌻🌻🌻
What a wonderful forest! Thankyou for sharing it with us! 😊
You're very welcome :)
These trees look like the ones I’ve dreamt of! Like a fantastic epic paradise!
In the forest I never feel alone, I always feel a presence. I feel heard and I feel seen
estee-efyou traany
And you are :)
so nice to know I'm not the only person that cares about old trees
Wonderful looks like the oak forest around the shores and on the Islands of lake Mälaren that begins at Stockholm and goes inland. There are many very old ones. The oaks of Sweden was also protected by the king, and oak forest used to cover much of Southern Sweden historically. During the bronze age when it was warmer the oak forests stretched much more far north beyond todays limits around the River Dalaälven. Further north the spring comes to late for them to bloom properly but there are planted oaks.
Beautiful tribute
Thanks!
new subscriber so glad i found your channel, im a real treehugger myself . oh and love your movember- stache
In Mexico City in the Chapultepec Park there is an avenue of humongous old oaks that were planted by the last Aztec ruler before the Spaniards conquered them. They are still alive and the roots are massive. Beautiful trees. In the town of Tule which is somewhere south of Mexico City (i think). There is a very old and very big tree. It is not an oak. I dont know what it is. While not really tall (like a Sequoia) it is really big around the trunk. Tremendous. And near it is a beautiful fountain decorated with a mosaic of broken porcelain plates. The plates were used as ballast in the ships coming from the orient. The plates were cheap over in asia and saleable in any port in America or Europe. But there was some breakage. And the pieces tiled every surface on the fountain. It was fascinating to see all the designs.
This is an inspirational video! I do notice that you seem to avoid saying where it is and for someone like me who would absolutely delight in photographing these trees it is very frustrating. Nearly ten years ago now I visited Bradgate Park in Leicestershire having been similarly inspired by photos taken by a local guy and shared on the internet. This was a wonderful place for oaks. I live in South Manchester and, although my native Cheshire is known for its oaks, there are no ancient woodlands to the best of my knowledge, that stand compare with wherever you were. I only learnt of the existence of Staverton Park in Suffolk by reading your viewers comments. If I've got to do a long drive to reach such a woodland I need to know where to go.
He doesn't give away the location of endangered species in order to protect them. Some idiot would absolutely try to destroy the area for their version of fun.
Exactly! I think some people get off knowing where it is and you don’t, completely pointless video.
@@ComancheWarrior63rubbish. I live near Sherwood Forest, probably the most famous forest or in the top 3 in the world, it’s never “overrun”
@@westaussie965 College and High School students in the USA have deliberately poisoned historically important trees as a "prank". It happens.
These beautiful gnarled oak trees remind me of Greek olive groves.
Just... stunning. You captured some splendid footage here. Thank you
Lots of Oaks were planted to grow wood for the British Navy over the centuries as well.
Wasn't sure about the tash but it grew on me lol.
Looks great but isn't it a bit monocultural? Interested whether it's got diversity of wildlife anywhere approaching Knepp? Although I guess it needs a complicated eco survey to establish that, but any rough idea?
Thanks again for super views with your great commentary. 🤩😀
Ha ha it sounds like you are describing the tash as monocultural! Well, who knows what he keeps in there!
Twisted, hollows, gnarled. They survive because they aren’t useful for building ships. Rejects. Stumps that survived, but stock for regeneration.
N feel the magic of the elves flowing through these magnificent trees
Thanks for the vid, it took me quite a time to find out where it is😉
I live in SW France not far from the Pyrenees and there is lots of woodland. But there are very old trees so that whole section of plants, animals and fungi that live on old trees is missing. On the face of it with so much woodland it seems great, but it’s not as healthy as it could be. Thanks for sharing this video.
Excuse me, do you mean there are NO very old trees? i wonder how that happened.
@@helenswan705 there are very few old trees. A friend has a picture of a nearby hill (nearly 800m so not small) completely stripped in the early 1900s. The woodland has been growing since then but that makes the oldest trees only 100 years. The people responsible seem to carry out rotational clear cutting. So no trees older than about 100 years. That’s my observations.
Yes please share your story! ❤
This is wonderful , had know idea about this or yhe history .thought all the old was gone .
Would love to know sbout you .
Thankhou for yhe vidio.
Here in New Zealand we have kauri die back. Access is now limited as it was our feet spreading bacteria the problem
This forest reminds me of an old olive garden with ancinet trees.
I think I saw Tree beard the End walk by. 🌱🌲🍂
Love your videos, thanks so much. I’d love to know more about these trees
Is the Holley a problem? Here in the American Pacific Northwest it has invaded stands of Douglas Fir, Western Hemlock and Western Red Cedar.
Beautiful.
what a stunning place
Thank you kindly for your sharing ❤I too love nature and trees 🌲 are very important when I can I go on road trips and take lovely pictures 😊
If you'd map out all the tree diseases and the time when they suddenly increased, I think you'l see a massive, massive increase in many tree diseases and even the rise of new tree diseases over the last 20 or 30 years. Some will blame 4G and 5G, some will mention the fallout from chemtrails, others blame modern agriculture or chemicals in the environment by other human factors. The diseases are all different but I suspect there is a common underlying stressfactor at play here. Perhaps this same factor or combination of factors are also what causes the fall in insect life. Would love to hear your thoughts and findings on this.
Greetings from the Netherlands, love your work
Thank you for making me soooo & €&) & & % jealous - love this. We Dutch seriously lack ancient trees or, as happened about 15 years ago in the village we were then living in, they cut down yews that were planted when the school was built around the 1550's, just to clear out maybe two parking spaces. The wife and me were in mourning for a couple of weeks
Gorgeous simply gorgeous.
Great video mate ! We also have some pretty big oaks here in France, but the trees you’ve shown really are massive ! Cheers 🌳
Gteetings from Auckland New Zealand 🇳🇿
We have lots of Oak trees here, in Auckland and throughout NZ .
Mostly introduced and planted in town centres and farms by early Settlers. They mostly go very well. Not many are ever pollarded. The oldest Oaks here would only be about 250 uears old. They are respected and loved
I’ve been to the South Island and had a very good time exploring. Lovely country! Trees seemed bigger there!
@@LeaveCurious So pleased you've been to NZ. Do come again when you're able. In the North Island, we have huge Pohutukawa trees, many are ancient and date to pre-European times. The oldest is estimated at nearly 800 - 1,000 years. It's called "Tane Mahuta" and is on the Western North coast of the North Island. Magnifincent.
@@LeaveCurious Oaks grow faster here so I guess the wood wont be as strong but they look amazing. Bright green in spring then nice dark green over summer and providing shade. They seem to produce a ton of seedlings, is that the case in the UK too?
@@franceshorton918 You should point out that Tane Mahuta is a kauri.
Oops! Yes you are quite right, thank you. I was online waay too late at night and lost my concentration. Also lost in admiration for huge, ancient, trees ! xx@@damionkeeling3103
thank you, really! I have never seen a video with so many ancient oaks! simply great!
excellent video!!!
Christophe, from Belgium.
1:40 'I shall be like that tree, I shall die at the top' Jonathan Swift.