A Notable Morning In The Wood

 In January we had the pleasure of welcoming Doug Edworthy to Darch’s Wood. Doug is the tree warden for Brightling and Dallington parishes and he also works as a volunteer for the Woodland Trust identifying and verifying notable, ancient and veteran trees.

One of our working party sessions last winter had uncovered an old tree that was previously completely engulfed by thick rhododendrons. After some deliberation, we were fairly certain this was an Alder tree and, given its size, could well be a unique specimen. 

Committee member Jo set about finding an expert to come and look at the tree; after a bit of Facebook networking she found Doug, who kindly offered his time to come and check it out, whilst also agreeing to check up on our other veteran trees.

Jo and Janet (another committee member), and Janet’s dogs, met Doug and his colleague Julian (tree identifier in training!) on a very cold but sunny morning in January. We spent two hours looking at different trees in the wood. The main aim was to confirm the identity of the tree we had uncovered during the working party and to find out its classification.

Doug showed us how to look at the bark, the buds on the tree, to look for any pine cones or other identifying features. It soon became apparent we did indeed have an old Alder tree (Alnus Glutinosa). Identifiers included the purple tinge to the buds and emerging catkins, as well as the small pine cones and spotted stems on the twigs.

We measured the girth of the tree and found it was 3.34m. Doug estimated it as 100+ years old (a very good age for an alder, they usually last around 60 years). We were pleased to discover this is a maiden tree (of seedling origin and never been coppiced or pollarded), in rude health, therefore not yet a veteran but would be classed as a ‘notable’ tree and would be logged on the Woodland Trust’s Ancient Tree Inventory (ATI). 

Alder trees are water lovers so it's no wonder this one was found right next to the ghyll. They are valuable to other species too. The catkins in spring provide an early source of nectar and pollen for bees and the pine cone seeds are eaten by birds such as goldfinch, siskin and redpoll. 

Veteran trees are in the latter stages of life and need to have specific features in order to be classed as Veteran. Features include the hollowing out of the trunk or of branches, increased fungal activity and wood decay and the retrenchment of the crown (it starts to shrink in height). 

We have three veteran trees that have been identified in Darch’s Wood - two large beech trees at the bottom of the wood and one very old Holly stub on the border of the wood along the main ride. They can all be seen on the ATI. Doug spent about half an hour with each tree noting its features and taking photos and measurements to update the ATI. 

There was something magic about spending time with each tree, really getting to know each one in more detail, and learning about its characteristics. Doug was hugely generous with his time and expertise and I think we all left with a new and deeper connection to these trees, recognising their importance and cementing our resolve to protect them!

Doug also reminded us of the importance of dead wood. Large tree stumps being one of the most valuable assets and habitats in any woodland environment. Any trees that fall must be left alone as much as possible as they provide crucial environments not only for wildlife but also for mosses and fungi. Branches should only be removed from trees if they are dangerous as damage to bark and exposing these wounds can make the tree vulnerable to disease or decay. The woodland is a circular system, recycling and renewing all the time and it does this brilliantly, ideally with as little interference as possible! 

As we continue to progress in clearing the invasive rhododendron and cherry laurel throughout Darch's wood, it will be interesting to see what else we uncover. We have certainly allowed a great deal more light into the wood which over time will increase biodiversity and improve the overall health of the trees and the woodland as a whole. There were a lot of new shoots at the bottom of the alder, likely due to the sudden exposure to a lot of new light.

Huge thanks to Doug and Julian for their time.