Walkers hunt for Britain’s hidden elms
[8th September 2005]
WALKERS will be helping to map Britain’s surviving elm trees
during the Ramblers’ Association’s (RA) Welcome to Walking Week
(17th to 25th September 2005) when they go in search of the
country’s last remaining elms. The nation’s elm trees have
declined dramatically in the past 100 years, from 20 million
trees in 1905 to just a few hundred known survivors.
The Elm Map Project, run by the Natural History Museum, in
partnership with the RA, English Nature, Sustrans, The Wildlife
Trusts and other conservation groups, is now in its third year.
With the help of walkers, the project aims to discover Britain’s
remaining mature elms in order to help their conservation in the
future. So far 200 elms have been discovered and it is hoped
this figure will double this year as walkers survey previously
unexplored countryside.
RA Welcome to Walking Week event organiser Mariusz Wilczynski
said: “Elm map walks are a great opportunity to explore the
beautiful British landscape and contribute to a nature
conservation project at the same time. Anyone who loves nature
and the countryside, even if they have never tried walking
before, is encouraged to go along. It’s also great motivation to
get fit and healthy. Studies show as little as 30 minutes
walking a day will improve health.”
Mature elms are home to a rich variety of wildlife including
butterflies, moths, beetles, lichens, mosses and fungi. The age
of an elm can be measured by its size. Walkers are asked to keep
their eyes open for large elms. These can be identified by
wrapping your arms around the tree in a ‘hug’. If it is too big
for your hands to meet, the tree may have survived the height of
Dutch elm disease and should be recorded.
The information gathered from the Elm Map project will be stored
on The Ancient Tree Hunt website brought together by the Ancient
Tree Forum and the Woodland Trust. A list of Elm Map walks is
available from the RA at www.ramblers.org.uk. You can also enter
your elm discoveries online at www.ancient-tree-hunt.org.uk.