In the times of ‘Robin Hood’, Sherwood Forest, located in Nottinghamshire County, England, was once a vast spectacle of 100,000 acres. It is one of the cornerstones of legendary England and it is rapidly dying every year.
Sherwood Forest is now a mere 450 acres. The rare and endangered oaks date back thousands of years. Park rangers in the area state that the collection of majestic oaks is “one of the greatest in Europe.” Over the centuries, the forest has been demolished to make way for farm land, mines, towns and logging. The timber from the oaks has been used to build medieval ships and part of the St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.
Centuries of demolition, use of the forests’ natural resources, and some fear - climate change, are the reason for the decline of the ancient forest. There is an average one majestic oak lost per year. However, this year, seven have come down. Forest rangers are noticing that the loss is accelerating at a rapid pace.
Currently there are 997 remaining oaks on the 450 acres. Of those, 450 are still living, 250 of those are in good shape, 200 are extremely vulnerable, and the rest are standing deadwood – still valuable because of the life that they support. These ancient oaks typically survive about 900 years, with 300 spent growing and 300 spent dying. With the loss of the trees, also go the loss of the unique creatures that live within and around them.
The hope is that Sherwood Forest will win the BIG Lottery grant, a branch of the National Lottery that gives out money to honorable causes. The lottery launched “Living Landmarks”, a TV program that encourages communities across Britain to work together in improving the quality of life and environment.
The lottery committee has shortlisted Sherwood and four other projects to vie for the $100 million."This lottery project is the biggest one that there's ever been," Brady said. "It's almost a once in a lifetime opportunity to get the forest back on track." - Yahoo News
