One year after the felling of the OneOak tree, a new oak forest has been planted by 250 children, a memorial sculpture stands proudly on the tree base, and the bluebells have returned. April 2011.
Hello Mark
We needed a tree for our project and of course wanted to fell a tree that had been grown for its timber, i.e. not a parkland tree. The tree we chose was planted for its timber and was therefore one tree of many in a plantation. Normally an oak reaches economic maturity in aabout 120-150 years. We knew this was older than that. It turned out to be 222 years old.
We very deliberately avoided felling a tree that was hazardous or diseased as some similar projects in the past have followed this route. Sylva wished to demonstrate very deliberately that the tree was to be felled for its timber. We do not feel that this should be done apologetically. While it is of course sad to fell a stunning mature oak, we can at the same time celebrate all that it has brought to landscape and wildife where it grew, and be pleased that we have in a small way saved a tree being felled elsewhere (possibly grown less sustainably) and reduced the considerable carbon footprint from moving timber long distances.
Hello Mark
We needed a tree for our project and of course wanted to fell a tree that had been grown for its timber, i.e. not a parkland tree. The tree we chose was planted for its timber and was therefore one tree of many in a plantation. Normally an oak reaches economic maturity in aabout 120-150 years. We knew this was older than that. It turned out to be 222 years old.
We very deliberately avoided felling a tree that was hazardous or diseased as some similar projects in the past have followed this route. Sylva wished to demonstrate very deliberately that the tree was to be felled for its timber. We do not feel that this should be done apologetically. While it is of course sad to fell a stunning mature oak, we can at the same time celebrate all that it has brought to landscape and wildife where it grew, and be pleased that we have in a small way saved a tree being felled elsewhere (possibly grown less sustainably) and reduced the considerable carbon footprint from moving timber long distances.
Gabriel