Biodiversity Northern Ireland

Ancient Tree Hunt in Shanes Castle, Antrim

On Saturday 27^th February 2010, an Ancient Tree Hunt (ATH) Recording Day was held in Shane’s Castle, a stunning private estate along the shore of Lough Neagh. The event was run in association with the Woodland Trust’s ATH team and Ruth Wilson, the Local Biodiversity Officer for Antrim Borough Council. The event attracted local volunteers and staff from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The ATH is a UK wide initiative, which aims to find and map our ancient trees. It will create a comprehensive database of ancient trees and is the first step towards cherishing and protecting them. The ATH began in 2004, and to date 62,000 trees have been recorded across the UK.

A total of 3,350 trees have been recorded in Northern Ireland, which includes 57 ancient trees, 1,435 veterans and 571 notables.

Recording involves surveying tree girth, tree form, status and condition (such as hollowing and dead wood). The habitats that trees provide are also recorded, for example evidence of birds, bats, fungi and lichen is noted. The event on Saturday 27^th February 2010 contributed to the recording of over 20 trees within Shane’s Castle Estate.

 This information is readily available to view on the ATH website through an interactive map http://www.ancient-tree-hunt.org.uk/discoveries/interactivemap

or

tree search: http://www.ancient-tree-hunt.org.uk/discoveries/TreeSearch.htm

Similar work is being carried out in the south of Ireland by the Tree Register of Ireland project:  http://www.treecouncil.ie/tree_register_of_ireland.htm